iliillill; 


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iiiiiiiiMiiiiiijIjll  i  ji 

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OVER   THE   OCEAN,    .  ^^3 


OR 


GLIMPSES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  MANY  LANDS, 


BY 


MRS.   C.    T.    CROMWELL. 


Peregrination  charms  our  senses  with  such  unspeakable  and  sweet 
varietie. — Burton. 


NEW    YORK: 
CADY  &  BURGESS,  60  JOHN  STREET. 

1849. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congres.s,  in  the  year  1845,  by 

Paine  &  Burgess, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  Statt-s,  for 
the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


EDITOR'S    PREFACE. 


The  letters  contained  in  the  following  pages  were  hastily 
written  at  the  places  where  they  are  dated,  and  addressed 
and  sent  to  partial  friends  at  home.  The  object  of  the  writer 
of  them,  was  to  convey  to  those  she  loved,  some  share  of  the 
pleasm*e  felt  by  her  in  looking  for  the  first  time  upon  foreign 
lands.  With  her  friends  she  succeeded  in  doing  this  ;  how 
it  will  be  with  others  into  whose  hands  this  book  may  chance 
to  fall,  they  who  read  it  can  best  answer. 

What  she  wrote  was  not  intended  for  publication  at  the 
time  it  was  written,  and  is  now  given  to  the  public  as  it  left 
her  pen,  when  she  believed  that  among  only  the  circle  of 
her  intimate  acquaintance,  these  impressions  of  what  she 
had  seen,  would  be  read. 

She  has  been  induced  to  allow  them  to  be  printed  not 
from  any  vain  desire  to  become  known  as  the  author  of  a 
book,  but  to  gratify  the  wishes  of  many  whose  good-will  she 
values,  who  have  requested  that  her  observations  should  be 
put  in  some  convenient  form. 

The  first  of  the  letters  was  dated  at  Liverpool  soon  after 
the  author's  arrival  at  that  great  commercial  port ;  and 
the  others  followed,  at  such  periods,  and  in  such  order  as 
the  exigencies  of  a  traveller's  life  permitted.  Being  ad- 
dressed to  several  persons,  there  is  not  in  them  that  conti- 
nuity of  narrative,  they  might  have  possessed,  had  they  been 
sent  to  a  single  correspondent ;  if  then  she  sometimes  turns 


IV  PREFACE. 


back  oib  her  path,  that  is  the  reason.  But  it  is  believed  that 
there  is  no  such  repetition  of  description  or  incident  as  will 
make  it  necessary  for  the  reader  to  indulge  in  what  Scott 
calls  "the  laudable  practice  of  skipping,"  whatever  other 
reason  he  may  find  for  so  doing. 

It  may  be  thought  that  an  apology  is  due  for  publishing  a 
new  book  of  travels  through  countries,  so  well-known  as 
some  of  those  whose  features  are  described  in  these  volumes. 
Not  such  is  our  opinion,  however.  We  remember  a  tale  of 
two  travellers,  who  discoursing  of  what  they  had  seen  in  other 
climes,  at  last  fell  into  a  conversation  upon  the  nature,  hab- 
its, form  and  color  of  the  chameleon.  One  of  the  twain 
spoke  of  it  as  being  red — the  other  asserted  that  it  was  green. 
There  was  a  dispute — and  a  reference  of  it  to  the  umpirage 
of  a  mutual  frieiid,  who  declared  its  hue  was  blacky  and  in 
proof  of  his  declaration  produced  the  animal,  and  lo  !  'twas 
white.  They  were  all  right,  however,  for  each  had  seen  the 
anomalous  creature  under  different  circumstances.  So  it  is 
with  travellers  in  the  present  day — no  two  of  them  look  upon 
strange  lands  in  the  same  light ; — and  supposing  the  coun- 
tries themselves  do  not  change  like  chameleons — which  sup- 
position, by  the  way,  is  untrue — yet  those  who  visit  them 
see  through  mediums  so  various,  that  there  is  but  little  pro- 
bability of  a  sameness  in  their  descriptions.  So  thinking, 
the  writer  of  these  lines  cannot  but  believe  there  are  a  few 
at  least  who  will  find  in  the  pages  sequent,  somewhat  to 
amuse,  interest  and  instruct,  concerning  the  lands  the  fair 
author  has  visited,  "  Over  the  Ocean," 


OVER  THE  OCEAN, 


OR 


GLIMPSES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  MANY  LANDS. 


LETTER  I. 

ANGLESEA ITS    COPPER  WORKS THE    RIVER  MERSEY THE 

ROAD     SIDE EATON    HALL CHESTER ITS     CATHEDRAL* 

&;C. LIVERPOOL  DOCKS STREETS MANCHESTER YORK 

CATHEDRAL INNS,    DURHAM NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE 

CHEVIOT    HILLS. 

Liverpool,  June  8. 
Yesterday,  after  passing  the  green  fields  of  Anglesea,  its 
copper  works  and  wind-mill,  we  first  set  foot  on  English 
ground,  and  no  sooner  had  we  passed  our  baggage  at  the 
custom-house  than  we  commenced  sight  seeing,  and  \dsited 
the  public  buildings,  the  exchange,  town  hall,  &;c.  To- 
day we  may  say  our  travel  truly  began,  for  we  have 
been  to  the  very  old  town  of  Chester,  and  to  Eaton  Hall, 
three  miles  beyond.  We  first  crossed  the  Mersey,  in  a 
ferry  boat  much  larger  than  any  we  have,  and  like  all 
vessels  of  every  description  here,  every  part  was  painted 
black,  on  account  of  their  burning  sea-coal,  whose  smoky 
atmosphere  turns  every  thing  to  its  own  hue  in  a  short  time. 
The  whole  of  the  machinery  is  always  below  deck,  so  that 
you  see  nothing  above  but  a  tall  pipe,  which  is  constantly 
belching  forth  the  blackest  and  densest  smoke  imaginable. 


THE    ROAD    SIDE. 


The  Mersey  will  at  low  tide  admit  the  largest  ships,  and  has 
a  rise  of  twenty  feet,  but  it  is  a  very  difficult  river  to  navi- 
gate,  owing  to  the  many  sand-bars  at  its  mouth.  The  banks 
of  the  river  are  dotted  with  beautiful  villas  and  cottages — 
with  lawns  and  terraces,  separated  by  the  only  fence  known 
here,  a  beautiful  hedge.  On  the  other  side  of  the  river  we 
were  taken  by  an  omnibus  to  the  railroad  station,  and  thence 
in  most  elegant  and  comfortable  cars  sixteen  miles  to  Ches- 
ter ;  and  oh,  what  an  Eden,  we  passed  through  !  It  seems 
as  if  I  could  write  nothing  but  exclamations ;  but  I  will  try. 
The  foliage  of  the  trees  here  is  dark  green,  universally  of 
one  shade  differing  from  our  American  forests,  in  which  you 
see  every  tint  and  variety  of  that  color.  Here  what  we  call 
grass-green  is  hardly  known.  The  trees  are  constantly  trim- 
med, so  that  the  branches  are  more  scattered,  and  the  growth 
being  luxuriant,  the  foliage  on  all  seems  to  be  in  clumps 
over  the  tree,  and  is  more  picturesque  than  ours,  though  not 
so  full  of  leaves.  The  fields,  divided  fi'om  each  other,  and 
the  road  by  hedges,  which  at  some  seasons  are  full  of  flow- 
ers perfuming  the  air,  are  beautiful  beyond  description,  and 
the  luxuriance  exceeds  every  thing  but  our  golden  West, 
Every  house  and  cottage  by  the  road-side  has  its  vines  running 
over  the  porch,  and  the  windows  filled  with  pots  of  flowers, 
while  every  inch  of  ground  was  covered  with  plants  and 
flowers.  Even  the  thatched  roofed  cottage  had  beds  of 
flowers  and  vegetables  extending  along  the  road  side.  In- 
stead of  banks  of  yellow  sand,  as  with  us,  the  sides  of  the 
railroad  are  covered  with  rich  grass,  and  not  only  grass,  but 
wild  flowers  of  every  color  of  the  rainbow.  Looking  over 
this  wide-spread  garden,  you  here  see  a  tall  wind-mill  paint- 
ed white  or  brown,  and  its  large  arms  turning  round  and 
round  as  if  battling  with  the  air,  and  then  through  another  open- 
ing, an  old  brown  church,  with  its  gothic  spire  and  windows, 
and  its  steeple  ever  verdant  with  "  that  rare  old  plant,  the  Ivy 


EATON    HALL. 


Green."  I  could  have  cried  as  I  gazed  with  the  excess  and 
variety  of  my  emotions,  for  we  were  whirled  past  these  ob- 
jects with  such  rapidity,  that  it  was  painful  for  the  mind  to 
grasp  them  as  they  were  presented  to  the  eye.  I  can  com- 
pare it  to  nothing  but  a  moving  panorama.  They  have 
forests,  too,  as  thick  and  dense,  though  not  as  extensive  as 
the  American  ;  and  the  body  of  every  tree  of  any  size  was 
from  root  to  branch  covered  with  Ivy.  (Oh,  how  I  wish  I 
could  send  the  tiiink  of  one  to  cousin  H.)  And  then  in 
contrast  were  here  and  there  the  gentlemen's  parks,  with 
the  noble  oaks  standing  separate  and  apart,  cleared  of  all 
underwood,  with  a  beautiful  green  sward  beneath.  And 
there  was  a  canal,  which  instead  of  being  straight  as  with 
us,  is  beautifully  serpentine,  winding  in  and  out  like  a  self- 
willed  river,  with  nothing  to  hinder  its  going  where  it  listeth. 
The  tow  path  was  about  four  feet  wide,  with  a  border  of 
grass,  a  foot  and  a  half  wide  on  the  side  next  the  water,  and 
shaded  all  along  by  a  hedge  of  trees. 

At  the  termination  of  the  railroad,  we  took  an  open  car- 
riage and  rode  to  Chester.  We  thought  the  houses  in,  Liv- 
erpool dark  and  dingy,  but  they  have  not  the  appearance  of 
antiquity  that  strikes  you  here,  and  of  the  strength  and  soli- 
dity of  every  thing  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  you  can  form 
no  idea  without  seeing.  Even  the  bridges  of  the  streets 
passing  over  the  railroad,  seem  to  <^ntain  all  the  materials 
of  one  of  our  city  stone  churches.  The^streets  of  the  sub- 
urbs of  the  town  are  lined  with  little  low  thatched  roof 
stone-houses,  and  scarce  a  window  but  had  a  thick  curtain 
of  plants  and  flowers  in  pots,  in  every  house  we  passed. 
The  views  we  send,  will  give  you  a  good  idea  of  Eaton 
Hall,  which  we  have  seen  to-day,  but  I  do  assure  you,  the 
reality  surpasses  it  The  proprietor  (the  Marquis  of  West- 
minster,) is  held  to  be  one  of  the  richest  peers,  and  to  have, 
in  some  respects,  the  handsomest  place  in  the  whole  king- 


8  EATON    HALL. 


dom.  Its  interior  finish  and  fiirniture  are  said  to  excel  even 
Buckingham  Palace.  No  written  desci'iption  could  give  an 
idea  of  its  magnificence.  But  this  was  my  first  "entree" 
among  the  great,  and  I  was  bewildered  amid  paintings  and 
sculpture,  and  tessellated  floors  of  marble  and  oak,  and  pave- 
ments of  mosaic.  East  India  Cabinets,  knights  in  armor, 
armorial  bearings,  coats  of  arms  and  strange  devices,  beau- 
tifully portrayed  in  the  stained  glass  of  the  windows,  sur- 
mounting full  length  figures  of  warriors,  knights  and  mitred 
bishops,  and  immense  mirrors  to  multiply  all  these- — ^per- 
spective views  of  the  long  galleries  and  lofty  ceilings,  paint- 
ed in  Fresco ;  the  walls  hung,  some  with  crimson,  some 
with  blue  damask,  bordered  with  rich  gimp,  the  draperies  of 
the  windows  of  velvet,  the  furniture  looking  like  solid  gold. 
All  seemed  like  a  fairy  vision.  But  in  the  library,  amid  the 
dead  and  living  on  the  book-shelves,  surrounded  by  beauti- 
ful stuffed  birds,  and  splendid  specimens  of  mineralogy  and 
various  antiques,  I  was  brought  to  the  sober  realities  of 
life  by  the  sight  of  a  goodly  row  of  Harper's  Family  Library 
in  their  plain  drab  bindings. 

The  park  is  very  extensive,  and  there  are  gravel  roads 
running  in  various  directions,  where  you  may  drive  some 
sixteen  miles,  seeing  every  variety  of  tree,  with  deer  *graz- 
ing  under  them,  and  now  and  then  a  hare  tripping  merrily 
over  the  grass.  The  garden,  too,  is  in  keeping  with  every 
thing  else.  There  are  graperies,  fig-trees  and  the  largest 
peaches,  nectarines  and  cherries,  that  I  remember  ever  to 
have  seen,  all  in  full  bearing,  and  what  is  very  singular, 
the  peach-trees  are  some  twenty  years  old,  and  hanging  like 
vines ;  their  fruit,  as  Mrs.  T.  says,  "  would  make  you  feel 
sad  for  a  week  after."  The  gardener  gave  Mrs.  T.  and  my- 
self each  a  small  bouquet  which  I  intend  to  press  and  keep 
as  a  memento  of  Eaton  Hall.  The  Roman  Altar,  of  which 
you  see  an  engraving  in  the  book  I  send  describing  the  Hall, 


CHESTER. 


is  fifteen  hundred  years 'old,  but  in  good  preservation  as  you 
see  it  in  this  picture. 

At  Chester,  we  visited  the  Cathedral.  This,  with  the 
Exchange  here,  has  more  the  appearance  of  antiquity  than 
any  thing  I  have  yet  seen.  The  steps  of  the  different  en- 
trances are  worn  in  the  centre  at  least  half  a  foot  from  their 
original  depth,  and  a  large  figure  of  the  Lion  and  Unicorn 
on  either  side  of  a  niche,  containing  an  immense  statue  of 
hewn  stone  in  the  old  Exchange,  is  nearly  obliterated  by  the 
pieces  that  have  scaled  off,  though  it  was  once  in  very  deep 
has  relief.  The  cathedral  is  in  form  of  a  cross,  and  the 
sides  of  the  interior  lined  with  monumental  marble.  Ches- 
ter proper,  or  what  was  formerly  the  city,  is  surrounded  by 
a  high  wall,  and  we  mounted  the  steps  nmning  to  the  top, 
which  steps  you  find  at  short  intervals  leading  from  the 
crest  of  the  wall,  where  is  a  fine  walk,  from  whence  you 
have  a  wide  view  of  the  surrounding  objects  both  within  and 
without  the  city  walls,  as  you  pass  on  it  around  the  city 
about  a  mile  and  three  quarters.  While  standing  on  the 
summit  of  the  arched  gateway,  which  is  very  massive, 
we  saw  a  temperance  procession  pass  through  under  us, 
with  music  playing  and  banners  flying,  the  ends  of  the 
staves  are  surmounted  with  a  crown,  (instead  of  a  liberty 
cap  as  with  us,)  and  all  looking  very  much  as  our  proces- 
sions do,  save  that  the  females  predominated.  From  the  top 
of  this  gate -way  we  saw  also  a  canal,  made  some  sev- 
enty or  eighty  years  ago,  and  which,  for  a  long  distance, 
seemed  cut  through  the  solid  rock.  From  here,  we  went  to 
visit  the  Roman  Baths,  which  are  situated  under  an  inn  ; 
but  the  entrance  to  them  is  through  a  little  low  vegetable 
shop,  dirty  and  filthy  enough.  A  woman  brought  a  light, 
and  back  of  the  rooms  in  which  they  lived,  descending  a 
few  steps,  we  entered  a  kind  of  vault,  on  one  side  of  which 
is  a  sort  of  tank,  and  at  the  bottom  a  spring.     Near  it,  is  a 

1* 


10  LIVERPOOL    DOCKS. 


narrow  door  leading  to  the  subterranean  passages,  which 
only  were  discovered  a  few  years  since.  The  entrance  to 
them  seems  very  complicated,  made  so  by  numerous  low 
pillars  of  brick,  between  M^hich  you  have  to  crawl,  but  after 
a  short  distance  you  can  walk  upright  through  three  pas- 
sages— one  to  St.  Michael's  church,  and  one  to  the  cloister 
of  a  nunnery,  three-fourths  of  a  mile  distant.  The  air  of 
the  passage  is  so  poisonous  at  present,  that  no  one  has  been 
through  them  for  a  length  of  time,  and  we  were  not  an- 
tiquarians enough  to  venture  upon  any  researches.  The 
day  being  spent,  we  bent  our  foot- steps  to  the  railway  and 
took  our  seats,  glad  of  a  place  of  rest ;  for  we  were  weary 
with  being  constantly  on  our  feet  since  ten  in  the  morning. 
It  is  now  six  P.  M.,  but  where  the  day-light  lasts  so  long, 
we  have  more  time  to  see  things,  for  dining  at  six  we  care 
not  for  tea  till  ten,  hardly  candlelight,  and  though  wearied 
with  constant  travel,  seldom  retire  until  twelve  or  one. 
Then  only  six  hours  darkness  make  us  rise  early  in  the 
morning,  for  it  is  sun-rise  here  much  earlier  than  with  you. 

We  had  a  very  intelligent  English  gentleman  as  a  com- 
panion in  the  cars  from  Liverpool  to  Manchester.  He,  like 
most  others  here,  spoke  with  much  bitterness  of  such  men 
as  the  baron  of  Eaton  Hall,  (though  the  noble  Marquis  is 
admitted  to  be  a  very  amiable  man,)  with  whom  the  wealth 
of  the  country  is  piled  in  heaps,  while  others  are  obliged  to 
dig  and  delve  for  a  few  coppers  ;  paying  much  less  taxes 
than  the  poorer  gentry,  though  better  able  to  pay  more. 

On  our  return  to  Liverpool  we  visited  the  famous  docks, 
for  which  this  city  is  so  deservedly  noted.  There  is  a  dock 
within  a  dock  for  a  great  distance,  forming  large  basins 
between  them,  with  locks  like  a  canal,  through  which  ves- 
sels make  their  entrance  and  exit.  The  outer  face  of  the 
docks  is  a  smooth  solid  wall,  with  steps  descending  to  the 
water,  by  means  of  which   you  enter  the   ferry  boats  and 


HOAD    TO    MANCHESTER.  11 

small  craft — the  shipping  all  lying  within  the  docks,  and 
only  the  forests  of  masts  and  rigging  visible. 

The  next  morning  we  walked  through  some  of  the  prin- 
cipal streets,  and  in  Bold  street,  the  Broadway  of  Liverpool, 
there  is  certainly  some  fine  stores,  with  a  great  display  of 
elegant  goods  of  the  most  gaudy  colors.  You  see  a  great 
many  ladies  walking,  dressed  in  what  we  should  call  outr6 
taste — ^the  dresses  and  shawls  of  the  gayest  and  brightest 
colors,  and  enormously  large  figures,  but  the  materials  not 
so  rich  as  ours,  nor  put  on  or  arranged  with  half  as  good 
taste.  Nor  did  we  see  any  of  the  beauties — all  looked 
dowdy.  We  took  a  carriage,  and  drove  from  place  to  place 
to  see  the  outside  of  different  public  buildings,  but  I  shall 
not  describe  them.  AVe  took  seats  in  the  cars  for  Manches- 
ter, but  instead  of  being  enlightened  as  we  expected,  were 
put  very  much  in  the  dark,  by  passing  at  the  very  outset 
from  the  depot  into  a  tunnel,  cut  through  rock,  and  more  than 
a  mile  and  a  quarter  long.  Afler  getting  once  more  into  day- 
light, we  found  pretty  much  the  same  country  I  have  de= 
scribed  from  Liverpool  to  Chester.  The  same  beds  of  flow= 
ers  and  patches  of  vegetables  on  either  side  wherever  there 
was  a  toll-house,  station,  or  cottage,  the  same  beautiful 
hedges  and  turf  fences,  and  one  universal  garden  outspread 
before  us.  The  country  we  passed  through  was  very  flat 
and  tame,  the  eye  took  in  a  perfect  sea  of  land  to  the  very 
horizon,  as  it  had  lately  gazed  upon  the  ocean  where  was 
nought  but  sky  and  w^ater.  There  was  no  high  mountain 
for  a  background,  no  noble  forests  to  relieve  the  eye  from 
the  perpetual  sameness  of  the  garden.  God  has  done  more 
for  our  country,  man  more  for  this.  Ours  is  noble  and  mag- 
nificent, carrying  the  thoughts  to  the  Creator,  this  beautifully 
picturesque,  and  our  thoughts  are  of  the  earth  earthy.  As 
far  as  I  have  yet  found,  there  is  a  great  deficiency  of  water 
in  all  English  scenery.     But  the  hand  of  man  has  done  ss 


12  RIDE    TO    YOEK. 


a  vast  deal,  and  every  thing  is  built  strong  and  enduring,  and 
kept  with  perfect  neatness  and  order.  This  is  noticed  even 
in  the  streets  and  docks  of  Liverpool,  and  at  the  departure 
of  cars  and  boats  all  is  orderly  and  quiet ;  there  is  none  of  the 
bustle  and  confusion  that  we  have  on  such  occasions.  In 
place  of  the  tall  wind-mills,  with  their  giant  arms,  so  re- 
markable on  our  first  ari'ival  at  Liverpool,  we  have  here  at 
the  different  villages,  immense  buildings  for  factories,  and 
chimnies  extending  from  the  gi'ound  to  the  height  of  a  steeple, 
ever  straight,  either  round  or  square,  pouring  forth  clouds  of 
smoke  or  steam.  We  remained  at  Manchester  long  enough, 
as  we  found  there  was  no  access  to  the  manufacturies  with- 
out waiting  longer  than  we  cared  to  stay  in  the  smoke. 
They  are  very  shy  of  admitting  strangers  into  their  facto- 
ries. You  require  an  introduction  to  some  of  the  proprie- 
tors, who  live  ten  or  twelve  miles  from  the  city,  at  least  to 
those  of  the  silk  and  printed  calicoes,  and  silk  and  lace  em- 
broideries, which  we  cared  most  to  see. 

We  seated  ourselves  in  the  cars  for  York,  passing  through 
a  more  variegated  country  than  I  have  yet  seen.  There  are 
more  hills  and  valleys,  and  now  and  then  a  high  ridge  by  the 
road  side  covered  with  trees  like  those  on  the  banks  of  the 
Hudson.  All  the  rivers  here  are  very  small,  not  wider  than 
our  canals,  and  have  not  the  beautifully  wooded  banks  of 
ours.  The  Ayr  has  a  tow  path,  and  is  used  as  a  canal.  We 
passed  some  of  the  most  beautiful  little  dells  with  hamlets 
situated  delightfully  on  the  rising  ground.  There  would  be 
a  neat  stone  farm  house  looking  superior  to  the  tiled  ones 
about  it,  and  then  the  good  substantial  barns  and  out-houses 
surrounding  it,  and  last  but  not  least,  a  little  stone  church 
with  its  square  tower  and  turrets,  and  perhaps  a  little  rivulet 
which  we  should  not  deem  worthy  a  bridge  of  any  kind, 
spanned  by  a  single  arch,  built  of  stone,  with  its  sides  over- 
grown with  vines  and  grass.     The  men  employed  in  the 


YORK    MINSTER.  13 


railroad  depots  have  here  a  kind  of  livery,  a  red  frock  coat 
with  gilt  buttons,  yellow  facings,  and  bands  on  their  hats  ; 
and  the  post  coaches  have  a  postillion  who  rides  on  the  back 
of  one  of  the  horses,  and  wears  a  scarlet  jacket,  drab  vest, 
and  small  clothes,  white -top  boots,  gilt  band  and  buttons.  As 
soon  as  we  arrived  at  York  and  had  stored  away  our  lug- 
gage into  our  room  at  the  hotel,  we  sallied  forth  impatient  to 
obtain  a  view  of  the  famous  cathedral  of  York,  or  Minster, 
as  it  is  more  generally  called.  And  O  !  what  a  glorious 
sight.  It  is  one  I  never  can  forget.  I  think  it  has  the  most 
elaborate  work  within  and  without,  the  most  beautifld  stained 
glass,  and  the  most  beautiful  carving  and  statuary  that  I  could 
have  conceived.  The  groimd  it  covers  I  should  think  equal 
to  that  covered  by  one  of  our  blocks  in  New  York.  One 
window  in  it  is  as  lagre  as  the  whole  gable  end  of  one  of  our 
country  churches,  and  all  the  windows  are  of  stained  glass, 
the  secret  of  which  is  not  now  known.  The  organ  has  five 
thousand  pipes,  and  the  organ  screen  is  most  elaborately 
carved,  and  at  the  bottom  are  full  length  statues  of  the  kings 
from  William  the  Conqueror  to  Henry  VII.  Under  the  large 
window  I  mentioned,  on  the  outside,  are  the  head  of  om-  Sa- 
vior and  the  twelve  Apostles,  carved  in  stone,  and  on  all  the 
projections  outside  and  in,  are  carved  heads  and  images,  and 
in  the  niches  full  length  statues.  Within  the  church  in  the 
centre  you  look  up  a  tower  two  hundred  and  thirty  two  feetj 
with  nothing  to  break  the  \ie\v  save  the  power,  or  rather 
want  of  power  of  seeing.  We  attended  service,  and  heard 
a  sermon  from  the  Dean  on  the  24th  of  June,  (St  John  the 
Baptist's  day,)  in  the  choir,  which  is  ninety  nine  feet  from 
floor  to  roof.  In  the  cloisters  were  very  many  monuments, 
and  very  ancient  knights  in  armor,  and  bishops  and  arch- 
bishops in  their  robes,  reclining  under  beautiflil  canopies  ; 
and  nobles  and  their  ladies,  in  full  court  dress  and  standing 
erect,  and  beautifully  carved  in  white  marble.     At  the  altar, 


14  YORK    MINSTER. 


in  one  of  the  Chapels,  we  were  shown  the  sexton's  chair, 
more  than  a  thousand  years  old,  in  which  were  crowned 
James  VL,  Richard  III.,  and  some  other  sovereigns.  In 
another  place  we  were  shown  the  robes  King  James  was 
crowned  in,  and  some  things  older  than  the  chair.  Under- 
neath the  church  we  saw  the  pillars  of  the  old  Norman 
church,  over  which  the  present  one  was  built.  There  is  one 
circular  window  called  the  Marygold,  twenty-seven  feet  in 
diameter,  and  also  one  called  the  "  ^ve  Sisters."  It  is  in  five 
divisions,  and  was  painted  or  copied  from  the  embroidery  of 
five  sisters,  (each  division  being  different,)  painted  at  their 
expense  and  given  to  the  Minster.  It  is  nearly  as  high 
as  the  large  one  I  before  mentioned,  but  not  so  wide.  I 
cannot  call  this  a  description  ;  it  is  merely  a  catalogue 
of  wonders.  It  would  be  impossible,  I  think,  for  any  one 
without  more  than  mortal  gifts  to  give  a  satisfactory  descrip- 
tion of  this  immense  and  elaborate  pile.  It  has  no  rival 
in  the  kingdom.  There  is  here  a  museum  containing  the 
Roman  antiquities  and  remains  that  have  been  dug  up  in 
various  parts,  and  around  the  city.  Near  the  museum  are 
the  ruins  of  St.  Mary's  Abbey,  only  one  side  remaining 
perfect,  with  the  Gothic  arched  windows  and  large  pillars 
formed  from  small  ones  united.  There  are  broken  pillars 
and  parts  of  the  walls,  so  that  you  can  trace  the  extent  of 
what  was  the  interior — ^wdthin  which  are  the  stumps  of  trees, 
some  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  in  circumference,  that  have  grown 
and  decayed,  since  the  Abbey  has  been  deserted  and  a  ruin. 
It  seemed  very  strange  when  we  entered  York  by  rail- 
road, to  pass  under  the  walls  with  a  steam  engine,  but  I  sup- 
pose wonders  will  never  cease.  We  crossed  the  Ouse  in  a 
row  boat  used  to  ferry  passengers  over,  and  then  walked 
around  the  walls,  quite  a  circuit,  passing  over  Micklegate 
bar,  on  which  used  to  be  stuck  the  heads  of  traitors  and  those 
slain  in  war,  and  then  crossing  the  river  again,  visited  York 


Clifford's  tower.  15 

Castle,  now  a  prison  for  capital  offenders,  and  like  every 
thing  else  here,  it  is  the  picture  of  neatness  itself.  The 
building  is  round,  and  half  of  it  is  divided  into  w^ards  wdth 
paved  courts  or  yards  between,  in  which  the  prisoners  take 
their  exercise  together.  They  are  allow^ed  to  converse  with 
each  other,  and  there  is  a  schoolmaster  who  comes  every 
day  to  set  them  copies,  and  they  amuse  themselves  in  read- 
ing and  writing,  ha^ang  no  work  to  do  but  to  keep  them- 
selves and  their  apartments  clean.  The  cells  in  which  they 
sleep  are  quite  roomy,  more  so  than  our  state-rooms  in  the 
ship,  the  sides,  top  and  bottom  of  them  are  each  one  solid 
stone,  and  the  door  plates  of  iron,  and  bolts  and  locks  to 
make  them  fast.  The  prison  relics  were  rather  disgusting 
than  interesting,  consisting  o^  various  instruments  wdth  which 
crimes  have  been  committed,  and  plaster  busts  of  famous 
murderers.  We  were  shown  the  skull  of  the  man  whom 
Eugene  Aram  murdered,  and  the  different  irons  usedto  con- 
fine the  famous  Dick  Turpin. 

There  is  little  left  of  the  old  Castle,  the  present  one 
being  built  upon  its  fragments.  The  Clifford's  Towner 
of  Ivanhoe,  w  here  Isaac  the  Jew  of  York  was  confined,  is 
enclosed  in  a  wall  to  preserve  it,  and  w^hich  you  ascend  by 
a  wdnding  stair  to  the  top,  where  you  can  walk  round  and 
have  a  fair  view  of  the  city,  the  Minster,  the  Abbey  ruins, 
the  walls  and  the  country  beyond.  I  gathered  some  sweet 
wall  flowers  and  ivy  growing  between  the  stones,  as  a  me- 
mento of  Clifford  Tower,  and  descending,  we  wended  our 
way  homewards.  The  inn,  after  the  old  English  fashion, 
has  a  place  for  loaded  carriages  and  wagons  to  drive  to  in 
the  rear  to  unload,  where  w ere  the  post-boys,  ostlers,  and 
grooms,  all  busy  in  their  different  occupations,  the  stables  ex- 
tending some  distance  on  either  side  in  the  rear. 

They  have  a  very  comfortable  way  at  the  inns  here.  Hav- 
ing no  public  drawing  room,  you  are  shown  into  a  parlor  whch 


16  DURHAM. 


you  have  to  yourself;  and  when  they  set  a  table  for  you,  the 
lady  traveller  not  only  pours  the  tea,  but  makes  it  on  the  table, 
on  which  they  always  place  the  caddy ;  and  a  boiling  kettle 
simmers  on  the  hob  of  the  grate.  The  waiter,  when  he  has 
placed  all  on  the  table,  retires,  and  you  have  it  all  to  your- 
self, quite  like  home.  And  they  give  you  in  England  such 
fine  bread  and  butter,  hot  muffins  for  tea  and  breakfast, 
fresh  eggs,  delicious  tea,  and  for  dinner  the  juciest  lamb 
and  mutton,  and  the  "roast  beef  of  England."  I  think  we 
have  as  good  beef,  but  we  have  no  Cheshire  cheese,  and  the 
cream  cheese  (what  we  call  pot  cheese)  is  here  most  ex- 
quisite. I  have  certainly  realized  the  comfort  of  an  English 
inn.  Every  thing  about  York  bears  the  stamp  of  age.  The 
sti-ucture,  material,  and  color  of  the  houses,  the  narrow  and 
irregular  streets,  all  betoken  an  age  gone  by.  The  second 
story  projects  over  the  lower,  and  if  there  is  one  above,  that 
projects  over  the  second,  so  that  in  a  narrow  street  you  may 
almost  shake  hands  across  it  from  the  upper  windows.  The 
side  walks  are  only  wide  enough  for  one,  and  the  red-tiled 
roofs,  in  ridges  with  troughs  between,  all  look  strange,  and 
I  begin  to  feel  very  antique  myself.  I  fancy  when  I  look  in 
the  glass,  I  have  grown  old,  and  certainly  feel  older  than  I 
did,  having  lived  a  year  in  the  past  week  ;  I  know  not  what 
is  yet  before  me,  yet  I  feel  a  great  regret  in  leaving  York. 

I  am  now  at  Durham,  and  have  attended  church  in  the 
Cathedral  to-day  (Sunday.)  This  is  another  relic  of  by  gone 
times.  It  was  built  4n  the  11th  century,  and  the  body  of  the 
patron  saint  (St.  Cuthbert)  is  entombed  here.  He  was  first 
buried  in  some  other  place  in  the  6th  century,  but  afterwards 
his  body  was  removed  hither  and  the  clothes  in  which  he 
was  interred,  being  at  the  time  of  the  removal  in  a  perfect 
state.  His  body  was  again  taken  up  in  1837,  when  but  little 
remained  of  the  holy  Saint  Cuthbert.  In  the  Cathedra],  are 
many  old  monuments  ;  one  to  the  venerable  Bede,  and  se- 


NEWCASTLE.  17 


veral  knights  in  armor  reclining,  but  very  much  broken  and 
mutilated.  On  the  side  of  one  of  the  towers,  in  a  niche,  is 
carved  a  cow,  and  two  milk-maids,  connected  with  which  is 
a  legend  telling  how  Durham  came  l^y  its  name.  There  are 
some  fine  buildings  connected  with  the  Cathedral,  the  Dean's 
Palace,  the  prebendaries,  the  Hospital,  and  old  Durham 
Castle,  ten  years  since  converted  into  a  college.  They  all 
stand  on  the  banks  of  the  Wier,  which  are  very  high  and 
covered  on  both  sides  of  the  narrow  river  with  beautiful  w^oods, 
through  which  are  fine  walks,  like  our  Hoboken,  and  ex- 
tending some  three  miles  up  the  river.  The  houses  in  both 
York  and  Durham  are  built  with  the  upper  stories  projecting 
over  the  under.  Here  in  Newcastle -upon-Tjiie,  (where  I 
am  now  waiting, )  the  houses  are  some  six  or  seven  stories 
high,  having  one  wide  projecting  window  in  front,  the  win- 
dow's in  each  story  jutting  a  little  over  the  under,  having  the 
appearance  of  high  boxes  piled  on  each  other.  The  roads 
and  streets  throughout  England  are  all  Macadamized  as 
smooth  as  a  floor,  and  the  coaches  roll  over  them  at  the  rate 
of  ten  miles  an  hour.  The  street  in  which  we  are,  at  New- 
castle-upon-Tyne, is  called  Grey-street,  and  is  lined  with 
buildings  on  either  side  like  palaces,  extending  near  half  a 
mile,  and  at  the  head  of  it,  on  a  high  hill,  is  a  tall  monu- 
ment surmounted  with  a  statue  of  Earl  Grey. 

Tuesday,  To-day,  between  Newcastle  and  Melrose 
Abbey,  we  have  passed  a  most  delightM  country.  The 
English  coaches  are  made  to  carry  sixteen  outside  and  four 
within,  but  those  who  sit  inside  are  shut  out  entirely  from 
a  view  of  the  country.  So  we  took  our  places  on  the  top, 
and  though  it  was  very  cold,  with  a  specimen  of  the  Scotch 
mist,  I  did  not  regret  my  choice.  Four  horses  to  each 
coach,  and  a  change  every  six  miles,  enable  them  to  travel 
at  great  speed.  We  saw  many  fine  places  on  our  way,  and 
then  they  have  such  pretty  names.     There  was  Belle  Cas- 


18  tJiiE  viols. 


tie,  Otterbay  Tower,  Ankram,  Rutherford,  Ravensworth  and 
Guernsey  Place—do  they  not  sound  well  ? 

The  hedges  here  are  in  full  bloom,  some  with  white,  some 
pink  blossoms,  and  as  thickly  clustered  as  our  flowering 
almond.  When  we  came  in  sight  of  the  Cheviot  hills,  the 
face  of  the  country  materially  changed  from  beautifully  cul- 
tivated fields,  to  bleak  barren  moor,  extending  for  miles 
around,  and  covei-ed  with  a  thick  black  bushy  grass,  which 
is  the  Scotch  heather.  The  country  here  has  no  fences  to 
divide  it,  and  is  only  separated  from  the  road  by  white  paint- 
ed  posts,  tipped  with  black,  to  guide  the  drivers  when  the 
ground  is  covered  with  snow.  On  the  tops  of  the  Cheviots 
are  cairns  or  stones,  piled  up  in  a  pyramidal  form,  to  serve 
as  land-marl'is  to  the  shepherds  in  winter.  The  sides  of 
these  hills,  or  rather  mountains,  are  dotted  over  with  innu- 
merable flocks  of  sheep,  with  their  shepherds  tending  them. 
They  wear  a  grey  woollen  cap,  a  plaid  thrown  over  the 
shoulders,  then  brought  around  the  waist,  and  tied  under  the 
lefl;  arm,  a  crook  in  their  hands,  and  a  dog  at  their  feet ;  and 
you  see  frequently  circular  enclosures  of  stone  wall  for 
sheep  folds.  This  is  realizing  the  romance  of  story  books  ; 
but  it  seems  to  me  more  beautiful  in  reality  than  I  ever 
dreamed  of  in  imagination. 

Before  ascending  the  mountains,  is  a  tract  of  country  very 
much  resembling  Connecticut.  At  the  top  of  the  ridge  is  a 
white  stick,  which  marks  the  boundary  between  England 
and  Scotland.  It  is  sixteen  hundred  feet  above  the  sea,  and 
very  cold,  but  the  view  is  rich  indeed.  For  here  are 
the  Cheviot  hills  not  covered  with  shrubs  and  trees 
like  ours,  but  with  grass  which  feeds  the  flocks  of  sheep 
scattered  all  over  their  sides.  Those  in  the  distance 
are  enveloped  in  mist,  which  gives  to  them  a  blue  color, 
and  others  are  cultivated,  and  exhibit  different  hues  ac- 
according    to   the    vegetation   with   which  they    are    clad. 


TEVIOT.  19 


On  the  Scottish  side,  the  country  is  much  more  magnificent 
— more  like  America.  The  ridges  of  the  mountains  are 
seen  on  every  side  as  you  wind  through  the  vallies  between  ; 
and  Teviot's  stream  meanders  through  these  vallies,  its 
sides  covered  with  beautiful  trees,  by  which  you  can  trace 
its  course  for  miles.  Among  these  is  the  Laburnum,  as  high 
and  as  large  as  our  pear-trees,  its  branches  drooping  with 
the  weight  of  its  golden  blossoms  ;  and  long  narrow  strips  of 
pine  groves,  with  their  dark  sombre  green,  that  seem  like 
our  American  forests.  The  foliage  of  the  trees  is  of  every 
shade  of  verdure,  adding  in  my  view  much  to  the  beauty  of 
the  landscape.  We  have  arrived  at  Edinburgh,  of  which  you 
may  expect  some  account  in  my  next ;  as  well  of  Dryburgh 
Abbey,  Melrose  and  Abbotsford. 


20  DRYBURGH    ABBEY. 


LETTER  II. 

DRYBURGH  ABBEY- 

MELROSE  ABBEY- — EDINBURGH STIRLING  CASTLE 

THE  HIGHLANDS LOCH  KATRINE LOCH  LOMOND DUM- 
BARTON  STERLING  CASTLE THE  HIGHLANDS. 

"  Edinburgh,  July. 

I  commence  this  at  Edinburgh,  Tuesday  the  4th  of  July, 
at  the  house  of  Mrs.  B.,  where,  in  the  course  of  an  hour, 
are  expected  Mr.  and  Mrs.  T.,  and  some  others  to  dine. 
At  what  place  and  time  this  may  be  finished  and  sent  is 
beyond  the  ken  o'  any  o'  us  at  the  present.  To-day  you 
are  no  doubt  keeping  in  some  way  the  jubilee  of  our  Na- 
tional Independence,  that  glorious  day,  the  nation's  holiday. 
Weell,  in  Scottish  parlance,  joy  be  wi'  you  all. 

Now  I  will  give  you  a  description  of  the  obJQcts  of  inter- 
est we  passed  on  our  way  from  Newcastle  to  Edinburgh. 
From  the  top  of  the  coach  called  "  the  Chevy  Chase,"  near 
Jedburgh,  and  a  little  way  from  the  road,  we  saw  a  spiral 
monument,  which  the  guard  told  us  was  placed  there  to 
mark  the  spot  where  Douglas  fell  at  the  battle  of  Chevy 
Chase.  Four  miles  south  of  Melrose  is  Dryburgh  Abbey 
in  ruins.  We  left  the  coach  here,  and  walked  a  long  mile 
to  the  grounds  of  the  Duke  of  Buchan  on  whose  estate  the 
ruins  are.  A  woman  was  our  guide,  and  after  taking  a 
view  of  the  whole  from  a  little  distance,  she  led  us  to  a  part 
of  the  ruins  called  St.  Mary's  Aisle.  Within  an  arch-^yay 
inclosed  with  an  iron  railing  she  pointed  to  a  mound  of 
earth  where  was  no  mark  or  sign,  and  said,  "there  lies  Sir 


DRYBURGH    ABBEY.  21 


Walter  Scott."  This  was  the  first  intimation  we  had 
that  he  had  been  buried  here.  We  only  visited  the  place 
as  the  location  of  a  beautiful  ruin,  and  it  was  with  sad  and 
yet  pleasant  surprise  we  found  ourselves  by  the  grave  of 
this  great  and  much  loved  author.  I  pulled  a  sprig  or  two 
of  the  vine  growing  over  the  archway  of  his  tomb ;  and 
passed  on  to  the  other  parts  of  the  ruin,  but  though  they 
were  beautiful,  they  were  nothing  to  me  in  comparison  with 
St.  Mary's  Aisle.  Our  next  visit  was  to  the  residence  of 
this  great  man,  Abbotsford,  where  we  were  shown  many 
curious  relics,  and  interesting  mementoes  of  his  collecting. 
We  saw  his  breakfast  and  dining  rooms,  (in  the  latter  of 
which  he  died,)  his  study  in  which  he  wrote,  and  the  chair 
in  which  he  sat,  and  the  clothes  which  he  last  wore. 
There  was  one  chair  upon  which  he  sat  to  write,  and  a 
great  favorite  with  him,  made  from  the  beams  of  the  house 
in  which  Sir  William  Wallace  was  betrayed.  There  was  a 
grate  belonging  to  Archbishop  Sharpe,  and  an  old  iron  camp 
kettle  of  the  Romans,  two  thousand  years  old  ;  a  shirt  of  mail 
worn  by  Oliver  Cromwell  when  receiving  his  troops,  as  a 
security  against  assassination  ;  a  flask  belonging  to  James 
I. ;  a  pair  of  pistols  belonging  to  Napoleon ;  a  sword  of 
Claverhouse  ;  a  set  of  beautifully  carv^ed  ebony  chairs  pre- 
sented by  George  IV.,  and  a  cabinet  of  the  same  material 
that  once  belonged  to  George  III.  ;  a  beautiful  marble 
table  and  vase  presented  by  Lord  Byron  ;  excellent  por- 
traits of  himself,  wife  and  daughters ;  an  original  portrait 
of  Oliver  Cromwell  taken  when  young,  and  one  of  Gen. 
Fairfax ;  the  head  of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots  in  a  charger, 
painted  immediately  after  she  was  beheaded ;  a  marble 
figure  of  his  favorite  dog,  and  many  more  things  which 
interested  me  much,  the  description  of  which  could  not  be 
comprised  in  a  letter.  There  was  an  arch  way  in  one  of 
the  passages  of  his  house,  built  in  imitation  of  one  in  MeK 


22  MELROSE    ABBEY. 


rose  Abbey.  We  visited  the  latter  after  we  left  Abbotsford, 
which  we  found  as  beautiful  as  he  himself  describes  it. 
We  were  however  unable  to  view  it,  as  he  says,  "aright,"- 
for  we  did  not  see  it  "%  the  pale  moon  light. ^''  We  here 
saw  the  grave  of  Alexander  II. ;  the  wizard  stone  which 
Scott  describes  in  the  "Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel;"  the 
grave  also  of  Douglas,  whose  monument  we  passed  on  the 
wayside,  near  Jedburgh.  The  poet  has  so  beautiflilly  des. 
cribed  Melrose,  that  I  cannot  do  better  than  to  refer  you  to 
his  description  of 

"  The  slender  shafts  of  shapely  stone. 
By  foliage  tracery  confined." 

And  there  still  remains  the  beautifully  fretted  and  sculptured 
roof,  of  which  he  says  : 

"  The  key  stone,  that  lock'd  each  ribb'd  aisle, 
Was  ajleur  de  lys,  or  a  quatre  feuille.^^ 

And  the  pillars, 

**  With  base  and  with  capital  flourish'd  around, 
Seem'd  bundles  of  lances  which  garlands  had  bound." 

It  is  astonishing  how  well  the  carving  is  preserved,  so 
that  you  may  still  distinguish  the  strawberry,  the  ivy,  and 
the  shamrock,  as  distinctly  as  if  wrought  but  yesterday — 
whose  leaves  you  may  find  growing  about  the  ruins.  Time, 
the  destroyer  of  all  things,  has  laid  his  hand  gently  upon 
these  beautiful  ruins  ;  but  man  was  not  so  lenient.  They 
suffered  more  from  the  ravages  of  the  border  wars,  mostly 
from  those  of  the  reformation,  and  particularly  from  the  big- 
otry of  John  Knox  and  Cromwell.  At  Edinburgh,  we  saw 
many  remains  of  the  first  named  stern  Reformer.  We  were 
shown  the  window  where  he  placed  himself  to  assail  Mary 
as  she  passed  by  on  her  way  to  mass — heaping  upon  her 
every  term  of  reprobation.  At  Holyrood  Palace,  the  cha- 
pel still  remains  as  the  fire  left  it,  when  that  and  the  palace 


HOLYKOOD.  '  '  23 


were  fired  bj  his  orders.  Tlie  palace  has  since  been  re- 
stored, but  the  chapel  is  a  heap  of  rubbish,  with  some  of  the 
walls  standing,  ivy  and  wild  flowers  filling  the  crevices,  and 
beautifying  the  whole.  We  were  shown  here  the  tapestry 
Mary  brought  with  her  from  France,  worked  by  nuns,  (sham- 
ing the  embroidery  of  modern  days,)  several  pieces  of  an- 
tique furniture  also  brought  by  her ;  a  beautiful  miniature 
painted  in  France  of  herself,  which  is  a  fine  specimen  of  the 
art  in  those  days ;  the  bed  she  slept  in,  with  all  its  tapestry 
faded  and  torn,  is  exhibited,  and  a  work-box  with  a  cover, 
broidered  by  herself,  and  a  basket  which  held  the  infant 
clothes  of  James  VI.  These  are  all  simple,  yet  interesting 
mementoes.  We  saw,  also,  the  room  in  which  the  Queen 
was  supping  with  Rizzio,  when  he  was  dragged  forth  to  be 
murdered.  The  bloody  marks  still  remain,  and  the  stairs 
up  w4iich  the  conspirators  came,  to  do  the  dreadful  deed, 
which  were  secret,  and  to  the  Queen  unknown,  though  lead- 
ing to  her  dressing  room.  Our  friend,  Mr.  B.,  being  an  old^ 
resident,  had  it  in  his  power  to  point  out  to  us  many  spots 
made  interesting  either  by  historic  association,  or  from  be- 
ing the  scene  of  some  incident  described  by  Sir  Walter 
Scott  in  his  delightful  fictions,  which  will  be  read  by  us  with 
increased  interest  when  we  return,  from  having  been  over 
all  the  ground  he  so  delightfully  describes.  We  saw  the 
house  in  which  Robinson  wrote  the  history  of  Scotland,  and 
the  place  where  he  was  buried.  He  took  us  through  Cow- 
gate,  Harrowgate,  Cannongate,  High  street,  Westbow  and 
Grass  Market — all  streets  in  the  old  to^\^l  where  the  ancient 
nobility  formerly  lived,  but  which  are  now  filled  with  the 
vilest  of  the  vile,  and  where  the  people  of  the  mofZem  Athens 
never  come.  There  are  in  the  old  town,  houses  from  eight 
to  eleven  stories  high ;  and  some  few  that  number  even  six- 
teen stories.  There  are  bridges  in  the  new  town  not  over 
water  as  with  us,  but  from  one  hill  to  another,  (for  Edin- 


S4  EDINBURGH. 


burgh  is  all  up  hill  and  down,)  and  you  stand  on  one  of  these 
bridges  and  look  upon  the  houses  and  streets  beneath,  filled 
with  a  busy  population,  who  carry  on  an  Israelitish  traffic,  and 
who  are  called  Scotch  Jews.  There  a,re  some  among  them 
who  arrive  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  twenty,  and  even 
one  hundred  and  fifty,  for  they  are  remarkable  for  their  great 
longevity,  and  yet  have  never  during  their  life -time  visited  the 
new  town,  though  it  is  only  about  ten  minutes'  walk. 

Edinburgh  Castle  adds  much  to  the  beauty  as  well  as  to 
the  interest  of  this  unique  city.  Among  the  objects  of  in- 
terest, exhibited  here,  are  the  regalia  and  Mons  Meg ;  the 
former,  consistmg  of  a  crown,  a  sceptre,  and  a  sword  of 
state.  There  is  also  the  badge  of  the  Order  of  the  Garter 
with  its  star,  and  one  of  the  thistle,  both  beautifully  set  with 
brilliants  and  other  precious  stones.  The  crown  is  placed 
on  a  scarlet-velvet  cushion  trimmed  with  gold  cord  and  tas- 
sels, and  all  of  them  are  dazzling  to  behold.  They  are  ex- 
hibited in  a  small  round  room,  with  no  lights,  save  those 
kept  burning  to  display  them  to  visiters  from  twelve  to  three 
every  day  ;  and  though  one  cannot  view  them  without  great 
interest,  as  belonging  to  a  nation  unquestionably  brave,  and 
capable  of  governing  themselves,  yet  to  see  them  exhibiting 
a  crown  without  a  king,  seems  something  like  a  burlesque 
upon  royalty ;  as  if  in  the  crown  and  not  in  the  head,  lay 
the  objects  of  adoration.  These  insignia  of  kings  and 
queens  have  been  recently  discovered  in  an  old  iron  chest 
in  the  room  in  which  they  are  now  shown,  after  having 
been  lost  to  the  world  a  hundred  years  or  more.  There  is 
a  long  story  attached  to  them  which  I  have  not  time  to  re- 
late. Mons  Meg  is  a  very  old  cannon,  so  called  because 
made  at  Mons,  in  Flanders.  It  is  formed  of  iron  hoops  bat- 
tered  together,  and  made  about  the  year  1480,  of  course  be- 
fore America  was  discovered,  and  it  is  a  famous  one  in  size. 

I  think  Edinburgh  should  be  called  the  Monumental  City, 


greyfriae's  church.  25 

for  there  are  many  monmnents  and  statues  on  Calton  hill,  (a 
summit  in  the  midst  of  the  city,)  from  the  top  of  which  you 
have  a  fine  A^ew  of  Edinburgh  and  all  the  surrounding  re- 
gion. There  is  a  very  tall  column  surmounted  with  the 
statue  of  Nelson  ;  three  in  the  form  of  temples  ;  one  to 
Burns,  one  to  Playfair,  the  mathematician,  and  one  to  Dugald 
Stewart.  There  is  one  also  called  the  national  Monument, 
intended  to  commemorate  the  heroes  who  fell  at  the  battle 
of  Waterloo.  It  is  a  fac  simile  of  the  Parthenon  at  Athens, 
but  for  want  of  flmds  not  completed.  There  is  also  a 
splendid  one  erecting  now  in  memory  of  Sir  Walter  Scott — 
a  sort  of  gothic  temple,  with  a  statue  of  himself  within.  In 
every  public  square,  and  before  every  public  building,  there 
are  equestrian  and  other  statues.  We  visited  Greyfriar's 
church-yard,  (the  oldest  probably  in  Scotland,)  where  are 
seen  the  graves  of  George  Buchanan,  (the  stern  preceptor  of 
James  VI.,)  Allen  Ramsey,  the  Poet ;  Dr.  Black,  the  chemist ; 
Dr.  Blair,  the  rhetorician  ;  and  last  but  not  least,  the  graves 
of  the  Scottish  martyrs  who  were  slain  and  buried  between 
the  years  1660  and  1668,  eighteen  thousand  in  number — very 
many  buried  in  one  spot  to  whom  a  monument  is  erected. 
It  is  supposed  that  the  ground  of  this  burial  place  has  been 
raised  upon  an  average  ten  feet,  and  in  some  places  eighteen, 
by  the  dust  of  the  millions*who  have  mouldered  beneath  the 
sods  of  the  valley,  and  you  descend  some  ten  steps  to  the 
door  of  Gre}-friar's  Church,  which  stands  in  the  midst  of  this 
city  of  the  illustrious  dead.  It  is  supposed  that  the  church- 
yard was  once  level  with  the  green  sward  about  it.  It  cer- 
tainly was  a  most  interes^^^ing  spot,  surrounded  by  the  monu- 
ments, arms  and  escutcheons  of  all  the  ancient  nobility  of 
Scotland. 

We  were  ad\ised  by  our  friends  in  Edinburgh  to  go  by 
water  to  Stirling,  twenty-nine  miles  distant,  to  enjoy  the 
beautiful  scenery  of  the  Forth.     Unfortunately  for  us  it  com- 

2 


26  STIRLING. 


menced  raining,  and  as  it  not  unusually  happens  here,  a  Scotch 
mist  accompanied  the  shower,  so  that,  however  willing  to 
encounter  the  rain  for  the  sake  of  the  scenery,  we  could 
not  see  through  the  impenetrable  mist,  and  were  obliged  to 
content  ourselves  with  a  comfortable  seat  in  the  cabin 
throughout  the  whole  passage,  for  the  rain  fell  unceasingly 
long  after  we  arrived  at  Stirling.  Stirling  castle  stands  on  a 
rocky  eminence  like  that  of  Edinburgh,  though  on  a  smaller 
scale,  and  is  approached  on  one  side  by  shady  walks  beau- 
tifully laid  out  from  the  town  up  the  eminence  to  the  Castle. 
On  one  side,  from  the  ramparts,  you  see  mounds  and  ditches 
overgrown  with  grass,  which  were  once  beautiful  gar- 
dens, the  pleasure  grounds  of  the  Jameses.  On  another  side 
is  a  strong  eminence  called  the  Lady's  Rock,  where  the 
queen  and  ladies  of  the  court  used  to  sit  to  see  the  tourna- 
ments held  in  the  field  below.  A  short  distance  beyond  is 
the  field  of  Bannockburn,  "the  Marathon"  of  the  North,  on 
which  was  fought  the  battle  between  Edward  IL  and  Robert 
Bruce.  This  ground  is  all  made  classic  by  Scott,  as  the 
"Bens,"  "Lochs,"  and  " Friths"  of  the  Highlands  are  hal- 
lowed by  his  muse.  The  Castle  has  been  the  birth-place  of 
some  of  the  Scottish  kings,  and  in  the  chapel  stands  the  pulpit 
from  which  John  Knox  preached  at  the  baptism  of  Prince 
Henry,  son  of  James  VL  The-  Palace  is  quite  a  splendid 
building,  ornamented  on  all  sides  with  huge,  and  some  of 
them,  grotesque  statues.  The  date  of  the  castle  is  lost  in 
antiquity,  but  the  Palace  was  built  by  James  V.,  (father  of 
the  unfortunate  Mary  Queen  of  Scots.)  A^vindow  is  shown 
in  the  south  part  of  the  castle  fi'om  which  James  H.  shot 
Earl  Douglas.  On  the  east  side  you  have  a  view  of  the 
Forth  winding  in  and  out  in  the  most  crooked  manner  imagi- 
nable. We  descended  in  a  contrary  direction  from  that  of 
our  ascent,  and  passed  by  a  spacious  and  handsome  building 
called  Argyle's  lodging,  built  by  the  Earl  of  Stirling,  and 


scott's  poems.  27 


now  a  hospital.  Half  way  down  the  hill  is  Greyfriar's 
Church,  erected  by  James  IV.,  in  1494,  and  still  used  for 
public  worship. 

The  ground  over  which  we  passed  on  our  way  from  Stir- 
ling to  the  Highlands  may  be  called  the  Thermopylae  of  Scot- 
land ;  the  fields  of  so  many  battles,  where  the  independence 
of  Scotland  was  bravely  contested.  There  is  Cambus- 
Kenneth  Abbey,  near  which,  on  a  bridge,  was  fought  the 
terrible  battle  between  Sir  William  Wallace,  and  the  Eng- 
lish commanded  by  Cressingham,  who  was  slain  in  the  en- 
gagement, and  who  had  made  himself  so  detestable  to  the 
Scotch  that  they  took  his  skin  and  made  girths  for  their 
horses.  Nine  miles  fi'om  Stirling,  in  the  village  of  Doune, 
is  pointed  out  a  very  ancient  fortress  situated  on  a  green 
bank,  washed  on  one  side  by  the  Teith.  It  was  garrisoned 
in  the  rebellion  for  Prince  Charles,  and  among  the  prisoners 
placed  there  was  Home,  the  author  of  the  tragedy  of  Doug- 
las. It  was  in  this  neighborhood  that  Sii-  Walter  Scott 
spent  much  time  in  his  younger  days,  and  acquired  his 
knowledge  of  Highland  character,  and  his  love  for  their 
beautiful  scenery.  With  his  "Lady  of  the  Lake"  in  your 
hand,  you  follow  these  creatures  of  his  imagination,  step  by 
step,  through  these  Highland  passes,  and  need  no  other  guide. 
It  is  delightful  to  find  how  well  the  lowest  classes  in  these 
parts  are  acquainted  with  all  the  scenes  described  in  his 
poems,  and  how  familiar  they  are  with  his  poetry.  To 
hear  them  repeat,  (with  Scotch  accent,)  page  after  page, 
as  we  did,  descriptive  of  the  scene,  and  point  to  the  spot 
where  the  incident  described  took  place,  was  indeed  de- 
lightful. They  show  you  the  mountain  where  Fitz  James 
lost  his  horse  and  laments  over  him. 

"  Wo  worth  the  chase,  wo  worth  the  day, 
That  cost  thy  life,  my  gallant  Grey." 

My  powers  of  memory  will  not  suffice  to  give  you  the  long 


28  LOCH    KATRINE. 


description  as  our  peasant  did  to  us.  We  passed,  too,  Coil- 
antogle  Ford,  the  scene  of  the  combat  between  Fitz  James 
and  Roderick  Dhu.  The  road  close  on  the  borders  of  the 
Lochs  Vennacher  and  Achory  is  so  narrow,  that  we  had  our 
wheels  entangled  in  each  of  the  three  vehicles  we  passed 
on  the  way,  but  as  we  were  brought  safely  through,  it  served 
only  to  give  us  a  little  excitement,  which,  with  our  awe  and 
admiration,  was  in  perfect  keeping  with  the  wildness  of  the 
landscape.  In  the  afternoon  w^e  arrived  at  Trosachs,  the 
romantic  avenue  to  Loch  Katrine,  and  here 

"  High  on  the  south  huge  Benvenue 

Down  to  the  Lake  in  masses  threw 

Crags,  knolls  and  mounds,  the  fragments  of  an  earlier  world, 

While  on  the  north,  through  middle  air 

Ben-an  heaved  high  his  forehead  bare.'' 

We  climbed  a  mountain  which  looks  down  upon  Glen 
Finlas,  once  a  royal  hunting  ground,  and  the  scene  of  Scott's 
ballad  of  that  name.  In  the  morning  we  gave  preference 
over  a  little  steamer  of  three  horse  power,  to  a  little  row 
boat,  to  cross  Loch  Katrine,  which  with  seven  rowers 
beats  the  steamer. 

"  The  rowers  then  bending  to  the  oar 
With  equal  strokes  their  burden  bore." 

"Ellen's  Isle"  was  pointed  out  to  us,  and  "the  silver 
strand"  where  stood  Fitz  James  when  first  he  saw  Ellen 
Douglas,  when — 

*'  The  maid  alarmed  with  hasty  oar 

Pushed  her  light  shallop  from  the  shore, 

And  then  though  safe,  yet  half  amazed, 

She  paused  and  on  the  stranger  gazed." 

"The  Goblin's  Den,' '  and  also  the  birth-place  of  Rob  Roy 
McGregor,  was  shown.  After  crossing  Loch  Katrine,  we 
took  ponies  over  a  rugged  pathway  five  miles  long.  I  think 
J.  and  H.  would  have  been  amused  to  see  mother  mounted 


SAIL    UP    THE    CLYDE.  29 

on  a  little  pony,  with  a  long  brown  cloak  and  hood  drawn 
over  her  bonnet  as  protection  against  the  rain,  and  her  gay 
velvet  dress  peeping  out  through  the  openings  of  the  cloak. 
And  they  would  have  been  pleased,  too,  with  the  sheep  in 
this  romantic  region,  the  fleeces  being  very  thick  and  white, 
while  their  heads,  tails  and  legs  were  very  black.  On  the 
side  of  this  rugged  road  are  the  ruins  of  Inversnaid  fort, 
built  to  keep  the  McGregors  in  awe.  At  Inversnaid  mill, 
where  we  leave  our  ponies,  is  a  small  waterfall — the  scen- 
ery wild  and  beautiful,  and  the  scene  of  Wordsworth  poem, 
the  "Highland  Girl,"  &c.  Here  we  took  a  steamer  to  sail 
up  and  down  Loch  Lomond,  (a  lake,  an  expanse  full  of  isl- 
ands of  every  varying  form,)  and  the  pride  of  Scottish  lakes, 
its  northern  extremity  narrowing  until  it  is  lost  among  the 
retreating  mountains,  and  -gradually  widening  as  it  extends 
southward.  Its  scenery  resembles  our  own  Highlands  and 
other  portions  of  the  Hudson.  There  are  some  beautiful 
country  seats,  and  at  Balloch  we  land.  At  this  southern 
extremity  of  the  lake  are  three  or  four  fine  castellated 
buildings  on  each  side,  and  very  near  each  other,  the  ruins 
of  Balloch  Castle,  Castle  Lenox,  and  Tallaquean  Castle, 
the  seat  of  Sir  William  Campbell. 

We  took  coach  to  Dumbarton,  about  eight  miles,  where  a 
steamer  is  in  readiness  to  proceed  up  the  Clyde  to  Glas- 
gow. Dumbarton  Rock,  on  which  the  Castle  is  situated, 
seems  like  those  on  which  the  Castle  of  Edinburgh  and 
Stirling  are  built,  to  have  been  7}iade  by  the  Almighty  for 
the  purposes  of  fortification  and  defence,  and  the  mind  of 
man,  or  the  necessity  of  the  times,  have  caused  them  to  be 
applied  to  the  express  purpose  for  which  they  were  created. 
The  sail  up  the  Clyde  is  very  beautiful,  and  the  scenery, 
too,  if  we  may  judge  by  the  glimpses  we  had  between  the 
showers  of  rain  which  poured  almost  incessantly.  The 
river  at  Glasgow,  Mr.  B.   says,  when  he  was  a  child,  was 


30  GLASGOW. 


SO  narrow  and  so  shallow  that  he  could  wade  across  by 
holding  up  his  kilt,  and  now  it  has  been  so  deepened  and 
widened  that  it  is  a  port  and  harbor  for  ships  of  the  largest 
class.  Glasgow  is  altogether  a  commercial  and  manufac- 
turing city ;  there  is  not  much  here  to  interest  the  stranger. 
We  have  in  a  handsome  square  in  front  of  our  hotel,  a  col- 
umn eighty  feet  high,  with  a  statue  of  Scott  on  the  top,  and 
some  smaller  ones  scattered  around.  There  is  a  fine  old 
Cathedral,  back  of  which  is  the  "Bridge  of  Sighs,"  lea(fing 
to  a  beautiful  cemetery  called  the  Necropolis  of  Glasgow. 
It  is  laid  out  on  the  side  of  a  steep  hill,  in  terraces  and 
walks,  one  above  the  other,  like  an  an  amphitheatre,  and 
embellished  with  innumerable  beautiful  statues  and  monu- 
ments ;  among  the  most  conspicuous  is  a  tall  column  with 
a  statue  of  John  Knox  on  the  top.  I  will  take  my  leave  of 
you  at  Glasgow,  leaving  our  tour  through  Ireland  and 
Wales  for  my  next.  With  much  love  for  yourself  and  a 
blessing  for  my  little  ones — Farewell, 


ENGLISH    INNS.  31 


LETTER  IIL 


WAY NORTH  OF  IRELAND. 


Glasgow,  July  9th. 
The  letters  I  have  as  yet  written,  like  a  guide  book,  have 
been  mostly  filled  with  landmarks,  finger-posts,  and  the 
statistics  of  the  country.  I  will  endeavor  to  have  this  upon 
a  different  plan,  with  desultory  remarks  upon  the  people  of 
these  parts — -their  manners  and  customs — -a  thing  of  "  shreds 
and  patches."  In  my  last  from  Newcastle-upon-the-Tyne, 
I  asked  you,  (if  I  did  not,  I  will,)  to  look  at  us  seated  in  a 
small  parlor  of  our  inn,  about  as  large  as  M's.  bedroom, 
with  a  blazing  coal  fire,  (for  though  the  25th  of  June,  how- 
ever warm  with  you,  it  was  cold  there,  and  I  have  had  all 
my  winter  clothes  in  requisition  ever  since  I  left  New  York,) 
by  which  Mr.  C.  was  seated  in  an  arm-chair,  reading  a  ca- 
lender of  the  Newcastle  races,  that  were  to  take  place  on 
the  morrow ;  myself  writing  on  the  other  side  by  the  win- 
dow, scribbling  as  fast  as  pen  could  go.  And  I  invited  you 
to  make  yourself  at  home,  and  take  a  seat  at  the  tea-table 
with  us  ;  in  w^hich  is  comprised  a  good  p?a't  of  the  comfort  of 
an  English  inn.  The  tea  and  breakfast  are  alx>ut  alike. 
You  have  always  a  server  with  the  necessary  china,  a  tea- 
caddy,  out  of  which  a  lady  of  the  party  makes  the  tea,  with 
the  aid  of  a  copper  tea-kettle  on  the  hob  of  the  grate,  sing- 
ing most  merrily — a  plate  of  muffins,  hot  and  buttered — a 
plate  of  thin  bread  and  butter — a  stand  of  dry  toast — a,sfar 
north  as  this,  a  dish  of  orange  marmalade,  and  at  the  end  of 


32  ENGLISH    IjVNS. 

the  table,  one  of  cold  roast  beef.  All  these  being  placed  on 
the  table  a  right,  the  waiter  retires,  and  you  are  left  to  enjoy 
yonr  tea  and  your  o^mi  society.  If  you  want  any  thing  more, 
a  bell  near,  soon  brings  back  the  waiter.  There,  seated  at 
the  table,  distributing  the  fragrant  tea,  I  feel  quite  at  home, 
I  might  now  add  to  these  comforts  the  splendor  with  which 
in  the  first  part  of  our  tour,  our  table  was  always  graced. 
The  china  used  here,  is  generally,  very  beautiful.  The  cups 
and  saucers,  plates,  dishes,  and  egg-cups,  are  of  the  old  fash» 
ioned  pai1i-colored  ware,  in  imitation  of  the  Dresden.  The 
urn,  tea  and  coflee-pot,  sugar  dish,  milk-pot,  spoons  and  forks, 
castors  and  salt-cellars,  are  all  of  silver,  generally  beauti- 
fully chased. 

In  our  bedroom  we  have  always  handsome  cm'tains  to  bed 
and  windows — ^the  window  drapery  of  moreen,  and  the  fall- 
ing curtain  each  side  of  white  tamboured  nuislin.  The  bed 
upon  which  3Ir.  C.  is  now  readmg,  is  garnished  with  moreen 
curtains,  sky-blue  and  white ;  the  valence  of  the  same,  with 
a  drapery  at  the  top  trimmed  with  handsome  bullion  fringe 
of  blue,  and  a  border  of  handsome  curtain  lace,  of  blue  silk 
round  the  whole.  The  bedstead  is  a  square  high  post,  of 
beautiflil  mahogany,  and  the  foot-board  has  a  cushion  nearly 
as  thick  as  the  board  is  high,  covered \Wth  the  same  blue  mo- 
reen. In  the  morning  when  the  bed  is  made,  the  curtains 
are  dra\^^l  to  the  head  of  the  bed,  to  display  the  white  coun- 
terpane and  pillows,  the  ends  being  placed  in  neat  folds 
across  them  ;  at  night  when  you  retire,  the  clothes  are  turned 
do^m  on  either  side,  and  curtains  closely  dra\\Ti,  so  that 
your  slmnbers  may  not  be  disturbed  by  the  long  twilight  or 
the  early  dawn.  Indeed,  at  this  season  of  the  yeai',  they 
have  scarce  three  hours'  darkness. 

The  butter  here  is  bi-ought  to  market  in  rolls  about  the 
diameter  of  a  Bologna  suasage — a  foot  long — and  then  cut 
into  little  pais,  and  stamped  in  divers  shapes,  and  placed  in 


BALLYCASTLE.  33 


a  deep  glass  dish  filled  with  water,  and  a  cover  placed  over 
it.  It  looks  very  nice,  and  is  always  fresh,  in  one  sense — 
it  is  never  salted.  The  chambermaids  in  the  inns,  no  mat- 
ter how  young,  all  wear  caps,  with  such  wide  frill  borders, 
that  their  faces  are  almost  concealed.  The  ladies  univer- 
sally have  their  bonnets  filled  with  flowers,  at  least  a  box  of 
them  on  each  side  of  the  face. 

Crossing  the  Cheviots,  from  Newcastle,  the  hills  and 
mountains  were  covered  with  sheep,  clothed  ^vith  thick  soft 
wool,  looking  beautiflilly  white,  except  the  tips  of  the  legs, 
head  and  tail,  which  were  jet  black,  giving  them  quite  a 
grotesque  appearance.  Fifty  thousand  in  a  flock,  we  were 
told,  was  not  an  unusual  thing.  We  saw  many  shepherds 
with  their  plaid  scarfs  and  caps,  crooks  and  dogs  ;  and  peat 
fields  in  great  extent,  with  the  turf  cut  up  in  squares,  like 
brick,  and  piled  in  stacks  to  dry. 


Ballycastle,  North  of  Ireland,  July. 
It  is  now  late,  but  before  retiring,  I  must  give  you  an  ac- 
count of  what  we  have  seen  to-day,  which,  I  think,  will  interest 
you.  We  left  Glasgow  in  the  evening  at  ten.  You  wiU 
remember  that  it  is  no  darker  here  at  ten  than  with  you  at 
half-past  seven.  We  sat  round  the  table  in  the  cabin  of  the 
steamer  Londonderry,  and  finished  a  quart  of  fine  strawber- 
ries, and  then  betook  ourselves  to  the  berths,  and  were  soon 
asleep,  passing  down  the  Clyde,  and  up  the  Irish  Channel. 
We  awoke  earlv  in  the  mominff,  findincj  ourselves  in  the 
Atlantic,  on  the  north  coast  of  Ireland,  with  a  hea\y  swell, 
and  very  sea-sick.  We  landed,  however,  at  ten,  at  Porte 
Rush,  passing  on  the  way  the  Giant's  Causeway — the  ob- 
ject of  our  ^isit  here.  The  Giant's  Causeway  is  some  nine 
miles  from  Porte  Rush.  For  ten  or  twelve  miles  before  our 
landing-place,  the  sea  beats  against  a  very  high  perpendicu- 

2* 


34  THE  giant's  causeway. 

lar  cliff,  formed  of  the  same  basaltic  rocks  as  the  Causeway, 
though  the  columns  are  not  so  distinctly  marked ;  resem- 
bling much  our  palisades.  There  seemed  to  be  a  succession 
of  little  bays  or  recesses,  like  horse-shoes,  with  huge  white 
chalk  cliffs  projecting  out  into  the  sea,  standing  almost  by 
themselves,  and  forming  a  strong  contrast  to  the  black  rocks 
in  the  rear.  As  we  progressed,  these  projections  seemed  to 
take  all  manner  of  shapes — ^temples  and  thrones — sea-gods 
and  all  sorts  of  beings  ;  and  at  short  distances  the  yawning 
mouths  of  huge  caverns  presented  themselves  to  view.  At 
Porte  Rush  we  took  breakfast,  and  a  jaunting  car  for  the 
Causeway.  These  cars  are  very  little  larger  than  our 
hand-carts,  and  yet  they  are  contrived  to  carry  six — I  can't 
say  very  comfortably.  The  seats  run  lengthwise  of  the 
car,  over  each  wheel,  and  the  passengers  sit  back  to  back, 
with  their  feet  within  a  foot  of  the  ground.  A  seat  in  front 
accommodates  the  driver,  and  this  is  the  only  means  of  con- 
veyance, in  rain  or  shine,  for  the  North  of  Ireland.  The 
grand  Causeway  extends  seven  hundred  feet  in  length  along 
the  shore,  and  three  hundred  in  breadth.  The  parts  of  the 
columns  visible,  above  ground,  being  from  four  to  nine  feet 
in  height.  There  is  one  of  which  you  see  the  whole  length, 
wdth  thirty-eight  distinct  joints  or  parts,  fitting  into  each 
other,  the  one  concave,  the  other  convex.  These  columns 
vary  in  shape  from  triangular  to  nonagon  or  nine-sided,  and 
yet  are  as  regular,  and  fit  each  other  more  closely  than  if 
made  by  the  square  and  rule  of  the  mason.  They  show 
themselves  in  columns  from  one  to  nine  feet,  rising  one 
above  another  ;  and  there  is  a  vast  space,  where  you  walk 
over  the  tops  of  them  like  a  pavement,  the  surface  being 
comparatively  smooth,  with  the  exception  that  the  tops  are 
either  convex  or  concave.  There  is  a  tradition  among  the  Irish, 
that  a  giant  who  dwelt  in  the  cave  of  Staffa,  formerly  walked 
on  this  species  of  pavement,  from  Staffa  in  Scotland  across 


VISIT   TO    THE    CAVE.  35 

to  Ireland,  and  back  as  he  found  occasion,  and  hence  its 
name.  And  present  appearances  do  indicate  that  once  a  line 
of  similar  formation  of  column,  a  rock  did  indeed  extend 
across  from  Ireland  to  Scotland.  You  perceive  the  same 
identical  pointed  columns,  we  were  told,  on  the  opposite 
sides  of  a  small  island,  midway  between  Staffa  and  the 
Causeway,  extending  into  the  sea,  on  one  side  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Staffa,  and  on  the  other  towards  the  Causeway.  And 
then  again  at  Staffa,  are  found  the  same  colunms,  extending 
into  the  sea  in  the  direction  of  this  little  island.  To  our 
astonishment,  a  spring  of  very  delightful  water,  which  we 
drank  from,  called  the  Giant's  well,  was  pointed  out  to  us 
amid  these  columns,  within  a  few  paces  of,  and  almost 
washed  by  the  ocean. 

There  is  also  a  number  of  caves  extending  far  under 
the  rocks  near  by,  where  the  ocean  washes  in,  and  the 
breakers  dash  about  most  awfully.  I  think  I  never  in  my 
life  felt  so  much  awed  as  when  inside  of  one  of  these  im- 
mense ocean  caves.  The  mouth  is  a  perfect  archway ;  the 
height  of  the  arch  being  ninety  feet,  and  the  length,  or  ra- 
ther depth  of  the  cave,  being  six  hundred  and  sixty-six  feet. 
The  entrance  is  extremely  dangerous — the  waves  run  very 
high,  and  dashing  against  the  sides  of  the  cave,  created  a 
white  sea  of  foam  within.  Mr.  R.,  of  Philadelphia,  observed, 
there  was  not  one  lady  in  a  hundred  wOuld  dare  venture  in 
that  cave,  and  I  assure  you,  I  gave  heartfelt  thanks  when  I 
found  myself  safe  out  and  on  terra  firma.  We  entered  upon 
a  billow,  watching  a  favorable  one,  that  in  an  instant  swept 
us  a  hundred  feet  within  the  cave,  and  made  our  exit  with 
the  aid  of  a  tremendous  receding  wave.  The  skill  of  the 
four  Irish  oarsmen  fully  equalled  that  of  the  gondoliers  of 
Venice,  and  it  was  nothing  but  their  tact  and  extraordinary 
presence  of  mind  that  brought  us  out  safe  from  our  perils. 

We  visited  one  other  curiosity  after  leaving  the  Cause- 


36  IRISH    BEGGARS. 


way.  Some  eight  miles  farther  north  towards  Ballycastle, 
there  is  a  stupendous  high  cliff  against  which  the  ocean 
beats,  and  some  hundred  feet  distant  in  the  sea,  is  an  island 
cliff  of  equal  height,  called  "  Carriek-a-ride."  Between 
these  two  cliffs  extends  a  ladder  of  ropes,  with  a  plank  two 
feet  wide  upon  them ;  and  across  this  narrow  bridge  the 
fishermen  run  with  their  baskets  of  salmon  on  their  backs, 
which  are  caught  in  abundance  on  this  little  sea-girt  isle. 
It  made  the  head  dizzj  to  gaze  into  the  depth  below,  and 
beneath  we  heard  the  breaker's  sullen  roar,  holding  by 
each  other's  hands  through  involuntary  fear.  And  if  you 
could  have  seen  our  escort  to  this  bridge,  your  sides  would 
have  ached  with  laughter.  As  we  passed  through  the  vil- 
lage in  our  car  all  the  ragamuflians  of  the  place  turned  out, 
and  began  calling,  "  a  scramble  for  half-pence,  bonny  gen- 
tlemen"— and  when  we  threw  them  one  afler  another,  there 
was  a  scramble  indeed.  Such  tatterdemalions,  I  am  sure, 
can  no  where  be  seen  except  in  Ireland.  As  they  ran 
along,  their  rags  fluttered  in  the  wind,  each  seemed  bidding 
good  day  to  the  other,  as  if  not  sure  which  part  would  take 
its  leave  first.  One  old  man  who  headed  the  escort,  (twenty- 
three  in  number,)  wore  a  coat  that  would  have  been  a  curi- 
osity in  any  of  our  museums — it  was  literally,  as  I  told  you, 
this  letter  should  be,  a  thing  of  "  shreds  and  patches,"  a 
hundred  at  the  least.  It  was  curious  to  see  them  run  by  the 
side  of  the  cars  for  a  six-pence.  One  girl,  about  twelve 
years  old,  ran  some  five  miles,  and  kept  even  with  us  up 
hill  and  down,  though  the  horse  was  at  his  full  trotting  speed, 
and  she  had  coursed  the  same  ground  with  another  party 
that  day.  I  don't  know  where  you  would  find  man,  woman, 
or  child,  in  our  country,  to  do  the  same  for  a  six-pence.  The 
dirt  and  filth  of  their  low  thatched  huts  exceed  all  belief. 
Pigs,  chickens,  and  children  mix  promiscuously  inside  and 


FACE    OF    THE    COUNTRY.         -  37 

out — a  child  with  a  clean  face  would  have  been  a  curiosity 
— a  marvel  in  the  neighborhood.     But  enough  of  this. 

For  miles  after  leaving  the  Causeway,  all  the  stone  for 
fences  and  building  are  of  the  balsatic  rock,  and  as  far 
south  as  Belfast,  one  hundred  miles  distant,  there  is  a  high 
cliff  by  the  road  side,  with  perpendicular  columns  of  rock 
some  sixty  feet  high.  The  road  from  the  Causeway  to  Bel- 
fast is  most  excellent,  and  the  ride  one  of  exceeding  beauty 
and  interest.  It  leads  the  whole  distance,  following  the  in- 
dentations of  the  land,  close  upon  the  margin  of  the  ocean. 
For  iifty  miles  or  more,  travelling  from  the  Causeway  to- 
wards Belfast,  there  is  not  a  tree  nor  a  bush  that  a  snake 
could  hide  in,  save  the  ha^\thorn  hedges  which  divide  the 
fields  ;  and  yet  in  the  peat  bogs  in  this  country,  you  may 
distinctly  see  decayed  trunks  of  trees,  and  stumps,  with  fibres 
of  the  roots.  The  peat  seems  expressly  calculated  by  Pro- 
vidence to  supply  the  deficiency  of  other  fuel  here,  where 
they  have  neither  wood  nor  coal.  Though  ordinarily  we 
had  seen  the  peat  to  smoke  and  smoulder  away,  rather  than 
burn  on  the  cottage  fire-place,  on  arriving  at  Ballycastle, 
after  a  long  cold  ride,  we  found  a  blazing  fire  of  it  in  the 
the  parlor  quite  delightful.     I  will  now  conclude. 


38  ROUTE. 


LETTER  IV 

ROUTE MENAI  BRIDGE COAL  MINES OXFORD LONDON 

GRAND    REVIEW PARKS OPERA TOWER DOCKS 

THAMES  TUNNEL WINDSOR  PALACE WESTMINSTER  AB- 
BEY  MADAME  TUSSAUd's  EXHIBITION FOUNDLING  HOS- 
PITAL. 

London,  July. 

My  dear  J ,  I  am  now  in  this  great  mart  of  the  world, 

London — this  modern  Babylon  of  which  Whittington  says, 
"where  all  the  streets  are  paved  with  gold,  and  all  the  maid- 
ens 'pretty,^''  which  lastl  believe  is  generally  acknowledged  to 
be  true,  and  as  we  are  willing  to  accede  to  the  truth  that  "  all 
is  not  gold  that  glitters,"  so  I  think  will  those  who  go  through 
the  streets  of  this  vast  metropolis  truly  exclaim,  there  is  a 
great  deal  of  gold  that  makes  no  shine.  But  before  I  go  on  to 
describe  to  you  the  wonders  that  I  see  on  every  side,  and  as 
this  ends  our  tour  through  Great  Britain,  and  will  be  our 
starting  point  for  the  continent,  I  propose  now  to  give  you  a 
list  of  the  principal  places  through  which  we  have  passed, 
and  the  principal  objects  visited.  This  is  the  more  neces- 
sary, as  in  writing  my  letters  to  you  and  to  B.  alternately,  I 
have  given  you  no  account  of  things  described  in  my  letters 
to  friends  there,  and  it  will  also  enable  you  to  follow  us  more 
closely  and  correctly  as  far  as  we  have  now  travelled.  We 
landed  at  Liverpool,  Tuesday,  June  20th.  We  passed  one 
day  in  visiting  Chester  and  Eaton  Hall,  which  I  have  de- 
scribed to  you.  We  left  Liverpool,  Thursday,  at  seven,  P.  M., 
and  reached  Manchester  about  ten  in  the   evening.     We 


ROUTE.  39 


visited  the  Cathedral,  and  all  the  public  buildings  of  note  ; 
left  there  by  railroad,  for  York.  At  York  we  visited  the  Ca- 
thedral, Museum,  Castle,  the  ruins  of  St.  Mary's  Abbey, 
and  walked  round  the  city  walls.  From  York  to  Durham 
by  railroad.  This  I  have  described  to  you.  We  left  the 
next  day  about  six,  and  rode  fourteen  miles  to  Newcastle, 
where  we  remained  the  night  and  day  attending  the  races  ; 
from  there  we  started  by  coach,  visiting  Jedburgh,  Dryburgh, 
Melrose  Abbey  and  Abbotsford,  remaining  here  one  night, 
and  the  next  day  arrived  at  Edinburgh,  where  we  remained 
a  week.  I  gave  you  some  account  of  this,  too.  We  left 
Edinburgh,  sailing  up  the  Forth  to  Stirling.  Left  this  about 
one,  A.  M.,  after  visiting  the  Castle,  and  walking  about  the 
town,  and  reached  the  inn  at  the  Trossacks  about  seven, 
P.  M.  The  next  we  sailed  across  Loch  Katrine,  and  down 
Loch  Lomond  to  Balloch,  thence  to  Dmnbarton,  and  up  the 
Clyde  to  Glasgow,  there  remaining  three  days  ;  left  in  a 
steamer  at  nine,  P.  M.,  and  landed  at  Porte  Rush,  ^n  the 
north  coast  of  Ireland,  eleven,  A.  M.  Here  we  breakfasted, 
and  then  took  a,  jaunting-car  to  the  Giant's  Causeway,  where 
we  rambled  about,  and  then  journeyed  on  to  Ballycastle,  stop- 
ping to  see  the  Bridge  at  Carrick-a-ride. 

Thence  in  a  jaunting-car,  passing  through  Cushingdale, 
Glenden,  Glenarm,  Larme,  and  some  other  places,  to  Bel- 
fast ;  left  here  by  coach,  passed  through  the  old  town  of 
Swords  and  Drogheda,  and  found  ourselves  at  Dublin. 

And  thence  across  the  Channel  to  Holyhead,  took  dinner 
and  proceeded  on  to  Bangor,  reaching  this  in  time  to  visit 
the  celebrated  suspension  bridge  over  the  Menai  Straits, 
connecting  the  Isle  of  Anglesea  with  North  Wales. 

Thence  through  a  most  beautiful  country,  diversified  by 
mountains  and  valleys,  passing  the  beautiful  "  Vale  of  Llan- 
golyn"  and  by  Snowden,  the  highest  mountain  inWales,  near 
four  thousand  feet  high,  and  after  a  ride  of  one  hundred  and 


40  BIRMINGHAM. 


thirty-five  miles,  to  Birmingham.  For  many  miles  before 
reaching  Birmingham,  you  pass  over  immense  mines  of  iron 
and  coal,  and  the  pipes  of  the  iron-works  are  pouring  forth 
volumes  of  flame  and  smoke,  lighting  up  all  the  country 
around,  and  turning  darkness  into  day.  In  some  places  they 
are  mining  under  the  road,  and  as  the  coach  passed  over  the 
ground  there  was  a  noise  like  distant  thunder,  and  in  the 
town  we  saw  some  of  the  houses  bound  round  with  iron 
chains  to  keep  them  from  tumbling  down,  as  they  were  min- 
ing underneath  even  here.  We  left  Birmingham,  and  rode 
twenty  miles  to  Warwick. 

We  visited  Leamington,  one  of  the  fashionable  watering- 
places  of  England,  two  miles  distant,  then  to  Warwick  Castle, 
in  the  town  of  Warwick,  where,  beside  the  magnificent  re- 
mains of  feudal  and  baronial  times,  we  saw  the  celebrated 
Warwick  vase  and  the  porridge  pot,  armour  and  other  relics 
of  "  Guy  of  Warwick."  Then  to  the  ruins  of  Kenilworth 
Castle,  five  miles  distant,  and  on  our  return  visited  "  Guy's 
Cliff,"  the  seat  of  the  Hon.  Bertie  Percy,  and  where  we 
were  shown  the  well  or  spring  of  Guy  of  Warwick,  and  the 
cell  in  which  he  died,  and  where  he  lived  as  a  hermit  for 
many  years.  Over  the  spring  is  a  stone,  placed  there  by 
order  of  Henry  H.  Leaving  Warwick,  we  rode  twenty- 
eight  miles  to  Stratford-upon-Avon,  in  time  to  visit  the  room 
in  which  Shakspeare  \^'^s  born.  The  house  in  which  he 
died  has  been  pulled  down.  Next  morning  we  visited  the 
church  in  which  himself  and  wife  are  buried,  and  then  went 
to  take  another  look  at  his  birth-place.  On  our  way  to 
Stratford  we  passed  the  park  and  mansion  of  Sir  Thomas 
Lucy,  where  the  poet  was  tried  for  deer-shooting.  We  left 
Stratford  and  were  at  Oxford  at  three,  P.  M.  ;  visited  three 
of  the  colleges,  of  which  there  are  no  less  than  twenty-four 
immensely  large  ones,  each  covering  as  much  or  more 
ground  than  Yale  at  New^ Haven.     We  visited  the  Bodleian 


loi^ftJOiV.  4i 


Library  and  the  theatre,  where  they  confer  the  degrees  upon 
the  students.  We  left  O.vford  and  took  raUroad  to  London, 
where  we  arrived  pretty  well  tired. 

And  now  of  London.  We  were  told  there  was  to  be  a 
grand  parade  the  next  morning  at  ten^ — the  Coldstream,  Fu« 
silier  and  Grenadier  Guards,  the  crack  regiments  of  the  king- 
dom, composed  of  the  sons  of  the  nobility,  were  to  be  reviewed 
by  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  before  the  King  of  Hanover  and 
the  Duke  of  Cambridge.  So  we  sallied  forth  to  Hyde  Park, 
and  took  our  places  among  a  crowd  of  people,  and  a  glorious 
sight  we  had  !  Two  thousand  soldiers  in  their  scarlet 
coats,  high  fui-  caps,  and  white  pants,  beside  a  vast  num- 
ber of  the  horse-guard,  all  mounted  on  black  horses,  and  the 
Duke  and  his  staff  in  splendid  uniforms.  We  had  a  very 
good  look  at  the  Duke,  who  was  cheered  by  the  crowd  most 
heartily,  which  he  acknowledged  by  bowing  and  raising  his 
finger  to  his  hat.  They  Ment  through  the  different  evolu- 
tions and  a  sham  battle  admirably,  and  the  music  from  the 
three  bands  was  most  delightful.  They  all  stood  in  one 
place  before  us,  and  played  while  the  regiments  were  per- 
forming their  part  in  the  distance.  We  counted  thirty-six 
drummers  standing  together  in  threes.  This  lasted  some 
three  hours,  after  which  we  walked  through  the  Park  in 
fi'ont  of  Buckingham  Palace,  and  through  Kensington  Gar- 
dens ;  and  oh,  what  magnificent  parks  they  do  have  here, 
so  many,  so  extensive,  and  so  beautifiilly  laid  out  and  orna- 
mented !  In  Kensington  Gardens  there  are  large  plots, 
each  devoted  to  a  species  of  flower  or  plant,  and  in  each 
plot  is  a  board  with  the  botanical  name  in  Latin,  and  then 
the  common  English  name,  with  the  country  of  which  it  is 
a  native,  thus  forming  a  botanical  school,  and  this  all  free 
to  the  public.  In  the  evening,  according  to  announcement, 
the  queen  went  to  the  opera  in  state,  a  thing  which  does  not 
happen  once  in  three  years,  and  this  was  the  first  time  with 


42 

the  present  queen.  We  were  too  tired,  so  the  gentlemen 
of  our  party  sallied  forth  to  get  a  sight  of  their  majesties 
and  the  royal  "cortege,"  in  which  they  were  successful, 
having  a  good  look  at  the  Queen  and  Prince  Albert.  Mr. 
C.  and  one  of  the  gentlemen  were  so  fortunate  as  to  procure 
two  tickets  for  the  opera.  The  Barber  of  Seville  was  the 
play,  and  they  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  Grisi,  La  Blache, 
and  two  or  three  others  of  the  most  celebrated  singers  of  the 
day,  and  saw  Ellsler,  Cerito  and  many  others  dance,  and 
all  was  got  up  in  the  most  brilliant  manner  to  honor  the 
royalty.  At  the  close  they  sang  "  God  save  the  Queen," 
the  whole  house  standing,  an  orchestra  of  seventy-five 
playing,  and  a  corps  on  the  stage  of  between  one  hundred 
and  fifty  and  two  hundred,  singing,  and  between  each  verse 
the  whole  audience  cheering  ;  the  Queen  and  Prince  Albert 
standing  up  and  bowing  in  acknowledgment.  The  next 
morning  we  went  first  to  Guildhall,  where  are  the  famous 
Gog  and  Magog,  and  where  the  Mayor  and  Corporation 
dine  once  a  year — thence  to  and  through  the  Bank  of  Eng- 
land, an  immense  building.  Our  next  visit  was  to  the 
Tower,  in  itself  a  dark  and  bloody  history  of  England.  The 
book  we  had  to  guide  us  through  it  will  serve  when  I  return 
instead  of  a  relation  now.  As  we  were  riding  along  by  the 
docks,  the  gentleman  who  accompanied  us  told  us  that  the 
ground  over  which  we  were  passing,  for  an  immense  dis- 
tance, was  occupied  underneath  as  wine  vaults,  and  that  he 
knew  of  one  there  occupying  a  space  of  nine  acres,  and  then 
pointing  upwards,  asked  if  we  had  ever  seen  railroads  on 
the  tops  of  houses,  and  surely  over  the  roofs  of  the  houses, 
three  and  four  stories  high,  was  carried  a  railroad  and 
bridges  over  the  streets  from  house  to  house,  and  thus  do 
they  make  use  of  every  thing  above  and  below,  round  and 
about.  Shortly  after  this  we  alighted  at  the  entrance  of  the 
Thames  Tunnel,  which  is  now  completed  and  used  by  foot 


THAMES   TUNNEL.  43 


passengers,   a  penny  toll  through.     As  yet  there  is  no  way 
for  carriages  to  descend  to  it,  but  one  is  being  excavated. 

Only  to  think  of  all  these  marvels  !  my  mind  aches  with 
thinking,  as  does  my  head  and  eyes  with  seeing  ;  and  what 
an  accumulation  of  wonders  of  the  world  might  we  now 
have  if  the  days  of  wonders  as  well  as  miracles  had  not 
ceased.  The  Tunnel  itself  is  a  wonderful  creation  ;  stand- 
ing in  the  centre,  and  looking  each  way,  you  get  a  fine  idea 
of  its  extent,  you  see  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  each  way,  and 
the  perspective  is  very  good  ;  the  arches  are  small  at  the  bot- 
tom and  larger  at  the  top — a  division  running  between  the 
two  archways  forms  a  footpath,  and  a  place  for  the  stands  of 
the  venders  of  different  articles,  among  which  we  purchased 
a  candlestick  of  the  Derbyshii-e  spar,  and  a  medal,  with  the 
view  of  the  Timnel  on  one  side,  and  Brunei  the  projector's 
head  on  the  other.  We  visited  the  monument  built  to  com- 
memorate the  great  fire  of  1666,  but  took  an  outside  view 
only,  not  caring  to  ascend  the  top,  and  then  returned  to  our 
home  well  pleased  with  having  accomplished  so  much  in  the 
day,  as  well  as  with  all  we  had  seen.  Yesterday  we  spent 
the  day  in  visiting  Windsor  Palace,  the  queen's  country  resi- 
dence, about  twenty  miles  from  town.  Here  we  saw  a  great 
deal  of  splendor  and  magnificence,  carved  and  gilded  ceilings, 
oak  wainscots,  inlaid  floors.  Gobelin  tapestries,  and  suits  of 
rooms  filled  with  paintings  of  one  master  alone.  From  the 
top  of  the  round  tower  is  the  most  extensive  view  that  I  have 
ever  kno^vn ;  twelve  counties  may  be  seen,  and  though  not  the 
most  magnificent,  it  certainly  was  most  beautiful.  What 
pleased  me  most  was  the  monument  in  the  chapel  over  the 
tomb  of  the  Princess  Charlotte,  daughter  of  George  IV., 
sculptured  by  Wyatt.  The  dead  body  of  the  Princess  is  re- 
presented as  lying  upon  a  bier,  one  arm  hangmg  lifeless  over 
the  side,  the  whole  covered  by  a  sheet,  through  which  you 
see  the  outlines  of  the  figure,  and  even  the  features  of  the  face ; 


44  MADAME    TUSSAUd's    EXHIBITION 

four  figures  seated  on  a  step  beneath  are  bending  in  grief, 
and  on  either  side  a  little  above  them  an  angel,  one  of  which 
holds  the  infant  in  her  arms.  Behind  the  bier  is  a  curtain  of 
marble,  the  drapery  falling  on  either  side,  and  in  the  centre 
just  over  the  bier  is  the  spirit  of  the  princess  ascending,  and 
so  beautifully  poised  in  air,  that  though  large  as  life  you  can 
scarce  believe  it  to  be  marble.  There  are  many  others,  but 
none  that  seemed  worthy  of  attention  after  this.  We  were 
shown  a  stone  which  covered  the  remains  of  Henry  the  VII. 
and  his  queen,  Jane  Seymour,  and  the  unfortunate  Charles  I. 
Many  other  royal  personages  are  also  interred  in  this  chapel. 
There  are  some  very  fine  painted  glass  windows,  the  design 
by  Benjamin  West,  and  the  "  Last  Supper,"  painted  by  him, 
and  placed  behind  the  communion  table.  There  is  also  some 
of  the  most  beautiful  carved  oak — a  complete  pictorial  Bible, 
most  beautifially  cut,  on  the  sides  and  doors  of  the  pews  and 
stalls.  In  the  evening  we  went  to  Madame  Tussaud's  cele- 
brated exhibition  of  wax  figures  ;  she  is  one  who  lived  in  the 
midst  of  the  horrors  of  the  "  reign  of  terror,"  and  being  a  mo- 
deler in  wax,  was  compelled  by  the  leaders  of  the  revolution 
to  take  models  from  the  heads  of  those  guillotined,  and  the 
heads  were  sent  to  her  reeking  in  their  own  blood,  and  in  this 
condition  she  obtained  busts  of  the  nobility,  sometimes  of  her 
own  friends,  and  at  the  last  of  the  revolutionists  themselves. 
She  published  a  book  giving  an  account  of  scenes  she  had 
herself  witnessed,  and  which  I  had  read  some  three  or  four 
years  ago.  I  must  say  I  looked  upon  her  as  the  great  curio- 
sity of  the  exhibition  ;  for  she  is  still  living,  and  you  see  her 
seated  in  an  arm-chair  in  the  ante-room,  very  aged,  but  they 
say  very  conversible  as  well  as  conversant ;  her  rooms  exceed 
in  the  gorgeousness  of  the  gilded  ceilings  and  velvet  hang- 
ings even  Windsor  Palace.  She  not  only  has  many  of  the 
great  men  of  modern  times,  but  they  all  appear  in  their  splen. 
did  court  dresses.     On  a  raised  platform  in  the  middle  of  the 


OF    WAX    FIGURES.  45 


room,  is  the  coronation  of  Queen  Victoria,  and  the  great  ones 
present,  twenty.five  figures  or  more,  all  in  their  robes  of  state, 
satins,  velvets,  Bnissel's  lace,  paste  substituted  for  diamonds, 
but  seeming  equally  brilliant.  Behind  this  on  another  platform 
stands  George  IV.  in  his  coronation  robes,  the  very  ones  he 
stood  in,  and  at  the  other  end  stands  Napoleon  surrounded  by 
the  King  of  Prussia,  the  Emperors  of  Austria  and  Russia, 
Talleyrand,  Blucher,  Murat,  Ney,  and  some  others.  Then 
there  is  Louis  XVI.  and  family,  Malibran,  the  singer,  Mary 
Queen  of  Scots,  Queen  Elizabeth,  John  Knox,  Wesley,  Cal- 
vin, Luther  and  a  host  of  others,  good,  wise,  great  and  illustri- 
ous. In  one  room  was  the  carriage  of  Napoleon,  taken  at  the 
battle  of  Waterloo,  containing  all  sorts  of  conveniences — in 
this  we  were  allowed  to  take  a  seat.  Then  another  room, 
devoted  entirely  to  things  belonging  to  Napoleon,  himself 
standing  as  if  alive,  by  the  side  of  the  magnificent  cradle  in 
which  his  son  was  actually  nursed,  and  in  it  a  wax  figure  of  the 
infant — an  infant  of  Napoleon,  the  image  of  its  father,  and 
opposite  the  very  bed  on  which  Napoleon  died  at  St.  Helena, 
and  his  figure  lying  dead  upon  it.  On  every  side  of  the  room 
were  portraits  of  himself,  Josephine,  Maria  Louise,  his  sister 
Caroline,  and  some  others,  all  painted  for  Napoleon  by  Da- 
vid, and  some  others  of  the  best  French  paintdls.  There  was 
also  a  large  round  table  with  a  border  of  miniature  likeness 
in  porcelain,  valued  at  8T0,000,  and  divers  small  things  not 
so  valuable  ;  all  the  figures  seemed  to  give  you  a  good  idea  of 
the  persons  represented,  and  I  came  away  highly  delighted 
with  all  I  had  seen  tWs  evening.  Sunday  evening  I  went  to 
the  Foundling  Hospital,  when  I  attended  their  chapel.  I  was 
told  that  we  should  hear  at  this  place  some  of  the  finest  music 
of  any  place  in  the  kingdom,  and  we  obtained  a  seat  where 
we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  children  who  occupy  the  centre  of 
the  gallery  on  either  side  of  the  organ  ;  the  girls  together 
on'  one  side,  and  the  boys  on  the  other.     The  dress  of  the 


46   -  THE    FOUNDLING 


boys  is  a  blue  jacket  with  gilt  buttons,  a  red  vest  with  the 
same  buttons,  and  white  trousers.  In  winter  they  wear 
blue  breeches  and  yellow  stockings.  The  girls  are  dressed 
in  black  stuff  dresses,  white  aprons  made  with  belt  and 
waist,  a  white  cap  close  in  the  neck,  short  sleeves,  with  a 
band  or  cuff,  and  white  cambric  caps  without  borders,  but 
with  very  high  crowns.  I  noticed  that  many  of  them  had  a 
broad  red  ribbon  round  the  neck  with  a  medal  attached,  I 
suppose  a  reward  of  merit.  I  counted  one  hundred  and 
seven  boys,  and  think  I  did  not  get  them  all,  and  the  girls 
seemed  more  numerous.  When  the  priest  comes  in  he  is 
always  preceded  by  the  sexton,  wearing  a  black  gown  and 
with  a  rod  in  his  hand,  the  priest  wearing  a  white  gown 
with  a  black  scarf,  and  an  immense  large  hood  of  black, 
lined  with  red.  He  is  followed  by  the  clerk,  wearing 
also  a  black  gown,  the  first  reads  the  service  and  the  latter 
says  amen,  and  makes  all  the  responses  very  loud.  After 
the  service  is  through,  the  sexton  again  walks  up  the  aisle, 
followed  by  another  priest  in  a  black  gown,  and  the  sexton 
opens  the  door  for  him  to  ascend  the  pulpit,  where  he  deli- 
vers the  sermon,  each  of  the  others  having  a  separate  desk 
or  lesser  pulpit,  one  a  little  below  the  other.  In  making 
the  responses^  the  children  all  speaking  together  as  if  by 
one  loud  voice,  and  all  ceasing  at  the  same  time  as  if  by 
some  mechanical  means,  has  a  very  singular  effect.  In  the 
church  of  England,  they  chant  much  more  of  the  service 
than  we  do,  and  sing  anthems  instead  of  psalms  in  metre. 
There  were  six  hired  singers  in  front  of  the  organ  who  acted 
,  as  leaders,  and  then  to  hear  more  than  two  hundred  children 
raise  their  infant  voices,  and  join  with  them  in  most  exact 
time  and  tune,  was  delightful  and  almost  overpowering — it 
was  sublime  !  I  think  there  was  not  a  boy  among  them 
larger  than  J.,  but  among  the  girls  some  fifteen  or  sixteen — 
I  presume  the  boys  are  put  to  a  trade,  while  the  girls  are 


HOSPITAL.  47 


retanied  as  being  useful  in  the  institution.  In  the  front 
room  which  was  the  longest,  they  were  all  about  the  size  of 
H.,  and  when  they  stood  up,  all  had  their  little  bare  arms 
folded  over  each  other,  and  when  they  knelt,  they  put  their 
hands  under  their  white  aprons  and  raised  them  to  the  face, 
and  looked  like  so  many  kneeling  nuns — we  were  highly 
pleased  with  their  appearance  and  singing,  but  I  could  not 
look  upon  them  without  feelings  of  sadness  and  compassion, 
to  think  of  their  being  so  many  who  had  never  known  a 
father  or  mother,  or  experienced  the  kindness  and  affection 
of  a  parent. 


48  BRUSSELS. 


LETTER  V. 

BRUSSELS ITS  LACE    AND    LACE    MANUFACTURE SINGULAR 

APPENDAGE    TO  THE  HOUSES ITS  USE HARLEM VISIT 

TO  ITS  CELEBRATED  ORGAN ITS  POWER,    PERFORMANCE, 

CONSTRUCTION,     ORGANIST,    &;C. ROTTERDAM AMSTER- 
DAM  THEIR  CANALS,    SHIPPING,     WATER HAMBURGH 

ALTONA BERLIN,    ITS    GARDENS DRESDEN,    ITS     GALLE- 

RIES,  &;c. 

August  3d. 

We  are  now  at  Antwerp,  after  a  stay  of  three  days  at 
Brussels,  very  delightfully  spent.  One  thing  we  saw  there 
which  was  very  curious — the  manufacture  of  the  celebrated 
Brussells  lace.  It  is  all  made  by  hand,  the  foundation  and 
figures  ;  a  piece  of  two  fingers'  breadth  and  thrice  as  long 
is  the  work  of  a  day.  The  figures  are  separately  formed, 
and  afterwards  sewed  on.  A  bunch  of  flowers  requires  the 
labor  of  two  or  three  weeks  to  form  it ;  and  one  piece 
shown  us,  about  three  inches  square,  but  of  exceeding  fine- 
ness and  beauty,  had  employed  the  time  of  one  person 
nearly  three  months.  No  wonder,  then,  it  is  expensive. 
The  work  is  very  trying  to  the  eyes,  and  most  of  the  opera- 
tives lose  their  sight  when  young.  We  saw,  however,  two 
old  w^omen  still  engaged  upon  the  costly  fabric,  who  were 
apparently  near  sixty ;  but  were  told  they  w^ere  rare  excep- 
tions— ^two  among  thousands  whose  sight  was  lost. 

One  singular  appendage  to  the  houses  here  struck  us  in 
our  walks  from  its  odd  appearance.  This  is  something  that 
I  can  only  compare  to  shallow  black  saucepans,  with  han- 
dles some  three  feet  long,  fastened  to  some  of  the  most  re- 


THE    HARLAEM    ORGAN.  49 

spectable  houses  near  the  windows.  On  mquiry,  I  found 
that  these  odd  looking  aftairs  contained  looking  glasses, 
and  reflected  to  the-  inhabitants  within  the  dwellings  all  that 
was  passing  in  the  street  without — themselves  being  hid. 

We  reached  Harlaem  about  noon.  Towards  evening 
we  bent  our  steps  towards  the  Cathedral  for  the  purpose  of 
hearing  the  organ  par  excellence.  The  edifice  was  once 
possessed  by  the  Roman  Catholics,  but  is  now  a  place  of 
worship  for  Protestants.  It  is  very  plain,  with  nothing  to 
break  the  vast  space  of  the  interior,  has  fine  lofty  arches, 
and  so  much  space  as  to  give  fine  effect  to  tones  of  the 
wonderflil  instrument  it  contains.  While  some  one  went 
for  the  organist,  we  mounted  to  the  belfry  to  see  the  town, 
and  were  well  paid ;  but  the  organ,  after  all,  is  the  lion  of 
Harlaem — and  I  must  say,  that  when  the  performer  arrived 
soon  after  our  descent,  and  struck  the  keys,  the  volume  of 
sweet  sounds  surpassed  all  my  imagination,  and,  I  fear,  all 
description.  At  first,  he  called  forth  all  its  power  and  tones, 
and  ceasing  suddenly,  w^  heard  its  echoes  answering  and 
reverberating  through  the  long-drawn  aisles  and  fretted 
vaults  around  and  above  us.  Then  in  tones  imitating  the 
human  voice,  he  gave  tenor,  treble,  and  bass  solos,  with  a 
chorus  as  if  from  a  v/hole  choir  ; — you  would  scarcely 
believe  there  were  no  human  voices  assisting  him.  It 
seemed  to  me,  indeed,  in  the  dim  twilight,  almost  supernat- 
ural— as  if  I  listened  to  spirit-tongues.  Then  came  a  re- 
veille  with  a  trumpet,  drum,  and  fife,  with  a  trumpet  echo  in 
the  distance ;  then  music  for  dancing,  with  the  patter  of"  twink- 
ling feet ;"  then  a  merry  peal  of  bells  worthy  a  Fourth  of 
July  morning  in  Manhattan  ;  and  lastly,  an  imitation  of  a 
storm,  with  the  most  natural  thunder  imaginable  ;  begin. 
*ning  with  low  mutterings  at  a  distance,  rising  gradually 
nearer,  and  finally  crashing  immediately  above  us  with  a 
terrific  loudness  that  made  us  tremble  for  the  next  blinding 


50  ROTTERDAM. 


flash  to  come.  The  organist  played  about  an  hour,  and 
then  invited  us  to  go  up  and  look  at  the  interior  of  this 
mighty  instrument.  There  were  three  rows  of  keys  which 
he  struck  with  his  hands,  and  two  of  pedals,  which  he 
played  upon  with  his  feet.  His  seat  was  about  a  yard  and 
a  half  long,  and  the  way  he  slid  about  upon  this  to  manage 
the  keys,  the  stops  and  the  pedals,  was  a  curiosity.  It  was 
really  hard  labor,  and  the  performer  was  pale  with  exertion 
and  covered  with  perspiration.  This  man  plays  for  the 
congregation,  and  then  of  course  strangers  can  hear  him 
for  nothing ;  but  when  he  performs,  as  to-day,  to  display  his 
powers  and  those  of  the  instrument,  he  charges  five  dollars. 
I  can  only  say  that  I  would  willingly  have  given  five  more 
had  it  not  been  too  late.  The  organ  itself  is  curious  for  its 
great  beauty,  size,  and  tone,  but  owes  much  to  the  ability 
of  the  performer  in  drawing  forth  its  deep,  majestic,  solemn 
notes ;  and  both  are  in  a  measure  indebted  to  the  vastness 
of  the  structure  in  which  it  is  placed. 

The  most  unique  place  we  have  yet  seen  is  Rotterdam. 
Canals  run  in  all  directions  through  the  city,  with  a  car- 
riage road  on  either  side,  and  along  the  banks  of  the  canal, 
rows  of  trees,  which  are  planted  not  so  much  for  beauty 
as  utility — as  the  roots  form  a  sort  of  net  work,  beneath  the 
soil,  giving  strength  to  the  dykes  and  preventing  their  being 
washed  away  by  the  sudden  rush  of  the  rising  waters.  As 
there  are  so  many  canals  there  must  be  a  multitude  of 
bridges  ;  but  the  most  singular  sight  was  the  vessels  of  all 
sizes  and  kinds,  and  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  filling 
these  watery  thoroughfares.  Though  not  so  large  a  city  as 
New  York,  having  but  80,000  inhabitants,  yet  as  far  as  it 
does  extend  it  is  quite  as  thickly  settled.  Imagine  then 
Broadway  lined  on  each  side  with  trees,  and  a  canal  run-  • 
ning  through  it  covered  with  shipping,  and  you  have  a  good 
idea  of  Rotterdam.     It  was  a  pleasing  thing  to  see  among 


AMSTERDAM.  51 


tKe  green  tree  tops  and  tall  chimney  stacks  how  were  min- 
gled the  taper  masts,  each  giving  forth  the  flag  of  its  nation 
to  the  breeze,  and  none  more  frequently  or  more  beautifully 
than  our  own  "  stars  and  stripes."  One  does  not  know 
how  to  love  and  be  proud  of  our  own  beautiHil  star-spang- 
led banner,  till  he  has  seen  its  folds  rolling  out  in  the 
skies  of  a  foreign  land,  where  all  else  is  strange.  The 
canals  in  many  parts  of  the  city,  with  their  pleasant  walks 
and  shady  trees,  would  have  a  rather  picturesque  effect, 
were  it  not  for  the  filthy  vegetable  matter  floating  upon  the 
surface  of  the  water.  This  same  water  is  filtered  and 
drank  by  the  people  here,  but  even  after  filtering,  it  looks 
about  the  color  of  stagnant  rain-water.  They  might  repeat 
the  process  for  ever,  ere  it  would  become  palatable  to  those 
used  to  our  delightflil  Croton. 

Amsterdam  is  a  large  city,  with  200,000  busy  inhabitants, 
many  of  whom  are  Jews.  The  canals,  though  not  so  nu- 
merous, as  in  Rotterdam,  are  very  broad  and  deep.  One, 
the  ship  canal,  is  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  wide,  and 
deep  enough  for  ships  of  the  largest  class.  The  water  in 
them  is  either  salt,  coming  from  the  sea,  or  brackish,  so 
that  all  is  used  for  culinary  purposes  and  for  drinking,  is 
brought  from  a  distance  and  retailed  from  carts  and  boats. 
They  give  a  shilling  for  a  jar  full  of  about  eight  quarts,  and 
in  the  winter,  when  the  canals  are  frozen  over,  it  is  sold  at 
a  much  higher  price. 

We  left  Amsterdam  in  a  steamer  for  Hamburgh,  sailing 
up  the  Zuyder  Zee  and  the  North  Sea,  and  eighty  miles  up 
the  Elbe,  landing  at  Hamburgh  about  three  o'clock  Friday 
afternoon,  in  the  midst  of  a  pouring  rain.  Hamburgh  is 
altogether  a  business  place,  containing  little  that  is  beautful 
or  ornamental,  and  it  still  shows  the  effects  of  the  destroy- 
ing element  which  raged  here  so  violently  some  fourteen 
months  since,  levelling  most  of  its  largest  and  most  beauti- 


52  HAMBUEGH. 


fill  buildings.  It  has,  however,  some  delightful  walks  and 
drives,  and  some  fine  Jidews  of  the  Elbe  and  the  Elster,  at 
the  junction  of  which  two  rivers  Hamburgh  is  located. 
They  have  here  some  of  the  prettiest  costumes  of  any  which 
we  have  anywhere  seen,  that  of  the  maids  who  attend  upon 
the  children  or  go  to  market  particularly.  They  have  their 
hair  combed  smoothly  down  on  either  side  of  the  face  ;  and 
it  is  neatly  braided  behind,  and  tasteflilly  arranged  low 
down  on  the  neck.  On  the  back  part  of  the  head  they  wear 
a  close  fitting  cap  of  gold  or  silver  tissue,  fastened  on  with 
broad  bands  of  gay  ribbon  floating  in  long  streamers  be- 
hind— a  tight  fitting  bodice  of  some  bright  color,  with  a 
frill  at  the  waist  behind — a  skirt  with  broad  gay  stripes, 
short  sleeves,  and  long  black  lace  gloves  ;  a  long  narrow 
basket  carried  under  the  arm,  concealed  by  a  large  hand- 
some shawl  of  bright  gay  colors,  in  which  they  seem  to  de- 
light, completes  the  costume.  Then  there  are  the  Dutch 
Flower  girls  from  Vierland,  who  wear  velvet  slippers,  red, 
blue  or  striped  hose,  a  short  full  skirt  of  bright  green,  red 
or  blue,  with  a  border  of  black  velvet  round  the  bottom  ;  a 
bodice  of  some  dark  color  is  laid  over  a  vest  of  different 
shade  or  color ;  a  small  round  straw  hat  with  black  bows 
and  streamers  falling  from  beneath  it,  and  their  loose  white 
hanging  sleeves,  give  a  pretty  effect.  We  passed  one  even- 
ing at  a  pavilion  or  cafe,  where  Avere  a  thousand  people  at 
least,  sitting  around  little  tables  eating,  chatting  and  listen- 
ing to  an  orchestra  of  some  of  the  first  German  performers. 
Sunday  we  rode  a  few  miles  out  of  town  to  a  place  of  great 
resort,  called  Blankenhese,  which  is  in  the  kingdom  of  Den- 
mark. Parties  were  eating  their  breakfasts  under  the  trees 
and  in  the  saloons,  and  here,  too,  they  had  music.  On  the 
way,  at  the  town  of  Altona,  we  passed  the  tomb  of  Klopstock, 
in  front  of  the  church,  under  a  fine  large  shady  tree.  We 
went  into  a  cemetery  on  our  way  ;  it  was  divided  into  plots 


SAIL    UP    THE    ELBE.  53 

by  walks,  like  a  garden  path,  each  plot  (devoted  to  a  family) 
was  covered  v/ith  green  turf  and  ornamented  with  flowering 
shrubs.  Green  moss  mingled  Avith  bright  flowers  formed 
into  wreaths,  crosses,  letters,  and  baskets  of  flowers,  &;c., 
ornamented  the  head-stones  of  almost  every  grave,  some 
withered  and  dead,  some  fresh  and  green,  but  all  testifying 
that  those  beneath  had  not  been,  while  living,  unloved  or  un- 
honored,  and  though  dead,  were  not  unremembered  or  for- 
gotten. Soon  after  leaving  the  cemetery,  we  met  a  funeral 
procession  bending  their  steps  towards  it,  consisting  not  as 
with  us  of  the  friends  of  the  departed,  but  of  some  sixteen  or 
twenty  hired  mourners,  who  always  perform  upon  these  oc- 
casions as  well  as  at  marriage  festivals.  They  were  all 
dressed  in  black,  with  plaited  rufl^es  round  the  neck,  curled 
and  powdered  wigs,  no  hats,  shorts,  Spanish  cloaks  and 
swords.  The  hearse  was  shaped  like  a  huge  cantelope 
melon,  black,  and  streaked  with  gold.  It  Avas  borne  by 
eight  meg,  who  walked  with  a  slow  and  measured  tread,  but 
with  a  swaggering  gait,  making  the  hearse  swing  to  and  fro 
like  a  hammock  ;  and  this  was  all — ^no  carriages  or  other 
procession.  We  rode  out  again  after  tea  ;  the  people  were 
returning — the  streets  were  filled — the  windows  of  the 
shops  displayed  all  kinds  of  tempting  things  ;  and  the  peo- 
ple instead  of  going  to  church,  were  bending  their  steps 
towards  the  opera,  which  commences  at  six  o'clock  and 
closes  at  one,  A.  M.,  and  this  not  in  a  Catholic  country, 
but  where  the  inhabitants  are  mostly  Lutherans,  or  of  the 
Greek  church.  Monday  morning  we  left  Hamburgh  at  four 
o'clock  in  a  steamer.  The  sail  up  the  Elbe  is  rather  unin- 
teresting, though  up  to  Hamburgh  it  was  very  beautiful.  It 
is  navigable  about  two  hundred  and  forty  miles.  The  only 
things  new  to  me  were  the  immense  rafts  of  timber  which 
were  floating  do^vn  the  river.  We  saw  often  some  twelve 
or  fifteen  men  towing  a  sloop  up  the  river  by  a  rope  attached 


54  POTSDAM. 


to  the  top  of  the  mast,  as  our  horses  tow  canal-boats,  and 
in  passing  a  boat  or  town  they  fire  a  cannon  from  the  boat 
by  way  of  salute,  which  is  very  disagreeable.  One  princi- 
pal cause  of  a  sail  on  the  Elbe  above  Hamburgh  being  un- 
interesting, is  the  high  dykes  or  embankments  built  on  either 
side  of  the  river,  to  prevent  its  Qverflowing  the  adjacent 
towns  and  villages,  thus  preventing  our  seeing  any  thing 
but  their  roofs  and  chimnies.  After  a  sail  of  thirty-six 
hours  we  arrived  at  Potsdam  (the  Prussian  Versailles,  situ- 
ated on  the  right  bank  of  the  Havel,  a  branch  of  the  Elbe) 
about  two,  P.  M.  Potsdam  is  a  kingly  city,  made  up  of  pa- 
laces and  magnificent  buildings,  and  splendid  gateways.  It 
was  the  favorite  residence  of  Frederick  the  Great — here  he 
lived  and  died.  We  visited  one  of  his  palaces,  built  imme- 
ciately  after  "the  seven  years'  war,"  as  a  sort  of  braga- 
docio  to  the  world  that  his  coffers  were  not  exhausted.  It 
is  truly  a  fairy  place,  exceeding  in  richness  any  royal  palace 
we  have  visited,  with  its  gilded  ceilings,  floors,  pillars  and 
tables  of  the  most  beautiful  marbles.  The  entrance  hall  is 
like  a  fairy's  grotto,  though  large  enough  to  hold  a  myriad 
of  fairies.  The  pillars  and  sides  are  filled  in  with  the  most 
beautiful  specimens  of  mineralogy  and  precious  stones  that 
it  was  possible  to  procure,  divided  into  compartments  by 
every  kind  of  shells,  and  the  ceiling  is  beautifiiUy  painted  in 
fresco.  In  the  grounds  of  the  palace,  we  visited  a  mauso- 
leum, containing  the  statue  of  the  beautiful  Queen  Louisa, 
of  Prussia,  wife  of  the  late  king — all  pronounced  it  the  most 
exquisite  piece  of  sculpture  we  had  yet  seen.  We  were 
shown  also  the  room  occupied  by  the  Great  Frederick,  and 
the  furniture  used  by  him — ^visited  the  tomb,  and  touched  the 
coffin  containing  all  that  remains  of  himself,  placed  under  the 
pulpit,  on  a  marble  sarcophagus,  in  the  Garrison  church.  We 
saw  also  his  manuscript  writing  with  the  comments  of  Vol- 
taire.    There  are  three  or  four  royal  palaces,  but  it  is  al- 


BERLIN.  55 


most  impossible  to  describe  each  one.  It  would  seem  as  if 
there  was  nothing  but  soldiers  here,  the  King  of  Prussia 
having  a  standing  army  of  600,000,  and  can  at  any  time 
raise  one  of  a  million,  so  that  the  streets  in  all  the  cities 
seem  gay  from  the  number  and  variety  of  the  uniforms,  and 
the  fine  martial  music  heard  every  now  and  then.  They 
are  fine  looking  soldiers,  in  appearance,  less  for  show  and 
more  for  service  than  the  English.  Our  next  place  was 
Berlin,  (the  capital  of  Prussia,)  twelve  miles  distant.  Ber- 
lin is  literally  a  city  of  palaces.  The  Great  Frederick  de- 
termined to  have  a  splendid  capital,  enclosed  a  large  titict, 
and  ordered,  it  to  be  built  upon,  and  it  was  done  in  a  man- 
ner worthy  of  royalty.  There  is  a  great  display  here  of 
dress  and  equipage,  and  apparently  a  good  deal  of  courtly 
style.  On  the  evening  of  our  arrival,  we  had  the  pleasure 
and  good  fortune  to  hear  Garcia  sing,  (the  sister  of  Mali- 
bran,)  the  gems  of  several  different  operas  in  the  king's 
opera  house,  and  in  presence  of  the  king  and  queen  and 
other  members  of  the  royal  household,  which  afforded  us  a 
fine  opportunity  of  seeing  them  all.  There  is  a  beautiful 
park  commencing  without  the  walls,  half  a  mile  in  width, 
and  extending  four  miles,  with  streets  running  through  it  in 
every  direction,  and  beautiful  villas  here  and  there  in  every 
part.  We  visited  the  studio  of  Professor  Rauch,  the  sculptor 
of  the  two  celebrated  statues  of  the  queen.  He  is  now  busy 
in  making  a  corresponding  one  of  the  late  king,  her  husband, 
and  also  of  Frederick  the  Great.  We  considered  ourselves 
very  fortimate  in  obtaining  a  sight  of  the  sculptor,  a  fine 
looking  man,  himself  a  model  for  a  statue.  We  went 
through  the  king's  library,  where  Ave  were  sho^^^l  "  some 
antiques. ^^  They  were  no  less  than  a  Bible  in  manuscript 
belonging  to  Luther,  and  written  by  himself,  with  comments 
and  corrections  in  red  ink,  made  by  himself  at  a  laler  time. 
It  was  in  the  German  text  on  parchment,  and  the  ink  as 


66'  BURNING    OF    THE    OPEKA    HOOSfic. 

black  as  if  done  yesterday,  and  the  text  as  troe  and  more 
beautiful  than  print.  We  saw  also  Luther's  Album,  con- 
taining full  length  miniature  likenesses  of  some  half  dozen 
of  his  friends,  taken  in  their  robes,  and  the  Elector  Fred- 
erick of  Saxony,  in  full  dress,  and  underneath  each  a  verse 
from  scripture,  with  their  names  in  their  own  handwrit- 
ing. Another  curiosity,  was  an  illuminated  prayer  book  of 
the  ninth  century.  The  redletter  parts  were  raised,  and  the 
pictures  were  beautifully  colored,  and  filled  in  with  gold.  The 
last  evening  we  were  in  Berlin,  about  half-past  ten,  we  were 
alarmed  by  a  cry  of  fire,  which  was  very  near  us.  In  a  short 
time  we  were  told  that  it  was  the  opera  house,  where,  so 
lately  we  had  seen  the  royal  family,  and  listened  to  the 
thrilling  notes  of  Garcia.  It  was  a  magnificent  sight ; 
the  building  itself  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  this  beautiful 
city,  and  an  immense  pile,  ornamented  with  statuary  and 
stucco  work  on  all  sides,  made  an  illumination  which  showed 
off  with  fine  effect  the  magnificent  palaces  about  it.  Thou- 
sands of  people  were  at  the  scene — women  crying  while 
the  other  sex  stood  in  awe— -no  noise  ;  while  one  man  went 
about  the  streets  blowing  a  trumpet  for  the  alarm,  another 
beat  a  drum.  We  were  particularly  struck  with  the  manner 
they  manage  fires,  so  different  from  our  own.  In  fact,  if  we 
should  do  the  same,  our  city  would  be  consumed  before  as- 
sistance could  arrive.  The  only  engines  they  had  were 
sledges  drawn  by  horses,  with  a  half  hogshead  of  water 
upon  each,  and  so  unusual  is  it  in  this  part  of  the  world  to 
have  a  fire,  that  the  people  appeared  frightened  to  death. 
The  military  were  called  out  to  preserve  order,  but  there 
was  no  saving  the  opera  house,  which  fortunately  stood  on 
an  open  square,  with  a  space  on  each  side  nearly  as  large  as 
our  Park,  or  the  conflagration  would  have  been  much  greater. 
In  the  morning  when  we  left,  this  noble  pile  was  a  smoking 


AN    ACQUAINTANCE.  57 

ruin,  with  its  fallen  statues  lying  about  it.     We  left  Berlin 
at  six  in  the  morning  by  railroad. 

On  the  passage  from  Amsterdam  to  Hamburgh,  which 
took  us  some  thirty-six  hours,  we  had  two  Venetian  gentle- 
men among  the  passengers,  with  whom  Mr.  C.  by  aid  of 
his  French  and  a  little  Italian,  formed  a  speaking  acquaint- 
ance. At  Hamburgh  we  met  them  at  a  cafe,  (or  public 
garden,)  where  we  went  like  the  rest  of  the  world  to  get  our 
tea  and  hear  good  music.  They  joined  themselves  to  our 
party,  and  we  made  ourselves  as  sociable  as  our  broken 
French  and  their  broken  English  would  admit.  We  found 
they  were  going  on  in  the  steamer  with  us  to  Potsdam,  and 
we  continued  together  to  Berlin,  and  were  soon  domes- 
ticated in  the  same  hotel.  By  this  time  the  acquaintance 
had  progressed  considerably,  and  as  Mr.  C.  was  enabled  to 
converse  with  them,  he  soon  became  quite  a  favorite,  and 
was  frequently  admitted  to  their  apartments,  and  treated  in 
the  most  cordial  and  friendly  manner.  I  will  premise  to 
you  that  they  were  both  young,  handsome,  fine  looking  men, 
not  quite  as  old  as  Mr.  C.  By  this  time  cards  had  been  ex- 
changed, and  we  had  discovered  that  they  were  Austrian 
officers,  one  a  physician  and  the  other  "  Le  noble  Compte 
Etienne  Medin,"  one  of  his  Majesty's  Guards  of  Honor, 
(of  the  highest  rank,)  and  ever  polite,  affable  and  talkative, 
and  seemingly  very  much  pleased  with  our  acquaintance. 
Mr.  C.  and  myself -passed  every  evening  with  them,  either 
at  a  cafe  or  public  garden,  and  one  evening  as  we  were  re- 
turning together  in  a  carriage,  L'Compte  said  he  wished  me 
when  I  went  to  Venice,  to  see  his  infant  son — he  being  a 
widower,  and  the  little  Count  Medin  three  years'  old,  and 
was  travelling  apparently  for  the  purpose  of  driving  away 
melancholy.  He  was  very  polite  to  us  during  our  stay,  and 
wrote  for  us  the  night  before  we  left,  a  letter  of  introduction 
to  his  brother  at  Venice,  and  rose  at  six  in  the  morning  to 

3* 


5S  FEELINGS    TOWARDS    AMERICANS. 

see  us  off,  and  make  his  adieu.  He  dined  with  the  king  at 
Potsdam,  and  brought  me  a  "  bon-ho7i"  from  thence,  saying 
perhaps  I  would  value  it  as  coming  from  ^^  la  table  dii  roi." 
There  is  one  thing  I  am  happy  to  find  in  my  travels,  and 
that  is  the  kindness  and  good  feeling  with  which  Americans 
are  received  by  persons  of  all  nations,  and  am  happy  to  find 
that  American  manner  does  in  a  great  measure  counter- 
act the  sour  feelings  caused  by  the  (as  they  consider  it)  na- 
tional repudiation,  which  galled  them  very  much.  Even  in 
England  we  found  as  soon  as  they  discovered  that  we 
were  "Yankee  English,"  they  opened  themselves  to  us  di- 
rectly, and  came  out  of  their  shells,  where,  like  snails,  they 
had  kept  themselves,  while  they  supposed  us  English  ;  for 
they  are  more  reserved,  and  shy  of  each  other,  whether  at 
home  or  abroad,  than  they  are  of  any  other  people.  With 
the  American  it  is  different — he  owns  a  countryman  for  a 
brother  wherever  and  whoever  he  may  be.  The  Venetians 
I  spoke  of,  told  us  we  should  always  proclaim  ourselves 
Americans  ;  for,  from  our  language,  we  would  be  naturally 
taken  for  English — the  English  having  made  themselves 
very  disagreeable  in  their  travels  on  the  continent,  are 
every  where  disliked  for  their  arrogance  and  pomposity  ;  but 
Americans  are  welcomed  by  all.  We  told  him  our  own  experi- 
ence had  taught  us  to  do  so,  and  it  is  scarcely  credible  what 
a  change  comes  over  the  'manner  of  those  with  whom  we 
enter  into  conversation,  when  they  ffnd  we  are  English 
from  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic.  They  are  always  civil 
to  answer  any  inquiries  or  remarks  we  make,  but  when  we 
proclaim  ourselves  by  some  remark  alluding  to-our  country, 
they  directly,  instead  of  waiting  for  questions,  are  as  com- 
municative as  one  could  desire,  and  are  very  free  with  their 
services  in  aiding  us  on  our  way,  or  at  times  acting  as  our 
interpreters.  When  we  find  those  who  talk  French,  which 
we  generally  do,  we  have  no  difficulty,  for  Mr.  C.  is  quite 


LEIPSIC.  59 


"  au  fait,"  but  when  we  come  to  the  German  he  gets  a  bit 
puzzled.     You  would  be  much  amused,  as  well  as  pleased, 
to  visit  the  public  gardens  and  cafes.     There  is  at  the  lat- 
ter a  handsomely  ornamented  builded  with  a  large  room, 
with  tables  and  seats  placed  around  them  ;  then  there  is  an 
orchestra,  from  which  you  always  hear  good  music.     At  the 
public  gardens  you  sit  around  tables  under  the  trees,  the 
band  having    a  handsome  temple-like  music-stand,  which 
they  occupy.     At  these  places,  all  the  town  it  would  seem 
come  to  take  their  tea — parents  with  their  children,  where 
they  meet  their  acquaintances,  and  seem  very  happy  and 
sociable.     All  the  ladies  bring  their  knitting-work,  and  "  are 
as  busy  as  bees,"  for  they  do  not  stop  for  any  thing  but  to 
eat.     They  keep  their  bonnets  on,  but  here  they  all  wear 
short  sleeves,   and  most  of  them    display   very   handsome 
arms.     To  hear  them  all  chatting  so  merrily  in  an  unknown 
tongue  is  very  amusing,  though  it  makes  one  feel  somewhat 
sad  to  see  so  many  happy  together,  and  feel  that  there  is 
none  among  them  that  care  for  you,  or  with  whom  you  can 
exchange  a  word  of  kind  feeling,  and  it  was  with  somewhat 
of  this  feeling  that  I  left  Berlin.     I  was  much  pleased  with 
the  princely  magnificence  and  beauty  of  the  city,  and  we 
were  leaving  behind  those  in  this  strange  land  who  had  been 
as  friends,  and  thus  it  has  happened  before  ;  for  we  meet  with 
much  kindness  and  civility,  which  we  know  how  to  appre- 
ciate, and  though  the  friendship  and  intercourse  is  short  and 
transitory,  we  cannot  part  with  our  only  friends  without  re- 
gret    We  had  formed  high  anticipations  of  Leipsic,  but  after 
Berlin  it  looked  decidedly  shabby.     The  reputation  it  has 
from   its  fairs  and  books  had  excited  too  high  expectations. 
The  only  object  that  interested  us  was  the  battle  field,  which 
in  1813  contained   136,000  French  troops  under  Napoleon, 
and  230,000  Russian,  Austrian  and  Prussian  troops  against 
him,  and  where,  after  a  conflict  of  three  days,  Bonaparte 


60  DRESDEN. 


was  obliged  to  retreat.  We  saw  the  bridge  which  was 
blown  up  by  Napoleon's  order,  and  the  river  which  was 
choked  with  the  bodies  of  those  who  were  fording  it  at  the 
time. 

We  are  now  at  Dresden,  from  whence  we  send  thise 
From  here  we  go  to  Prague  and  thence  to  Vienna,  where 
we  hope  to  find  letters  from  home,  and  if  they  contain  no- 
thing unfavorable,  shall  turn  our  faces  eastward  to  Constan- 
tinople. Dresden  is  the  capital  of  the  King  of  Saxony,  and 
thanks  to  our  lucky  star,  we  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the 
king  and  queen  in  an  open  carriage  on  our  way  to  the 
picture  gallery,  and  they  both  returned  our  salutations,  the 
king  taking  oif  his  hat  very  politely  to  u&  republicans.  The 
collection  of  paintings  here  is  large  and  valuable.  They 
are  nearly  2000  in  number,  and  all  either  originals  of  the 
"great  masters,"  or  copies  by  iheir  pupils,  or  other  nearly 
as  celebrated  painters.  We  spent  about  two  hours  there 
to-day,  and  saw  only  about  a  third  of  them.  To-morrow 
we  go  again  at  ten,  A.  M.  and  stay  till  three,  P.  M.,  when, 
the  exhibition  closes,  and  then  we  visit  the  green  vaults, 
where  is  a  collection  of  jewels  and  precious  stones  exceed- 
ing any  in  Europe.  The  queen  wore  a  necklace  yesterday, 
worth  more  than  a  million  dollars.  We  saw  among  the 
curiosities  at  Dresden,  a  little  city  as  large  as  a  tea-table^ 
made  of  silver  and  gold,  which  it  took  thirteen  men  seven 
years  to  make,  and  cost  between  sixty  and  seventy  thousand 
dollars.  The  diamonds  and  precious  stones  in  the  collection 
here,  exceed  all  conception,  unless  aided  by  Aladdin's  wonder- 
ful lamp — diamonds  in  profusion,  and  other  precious  stones^ 
made  into  every  variety  of  beautiful  as  well  as  uncouth 
shapes. 

How  you  would  enjoy  these  works  of  art.  I  spent  three 
hours  again  to-day  at  the  picture  gallery,  where  I  never  tire 
of  gazing.     There  is  one  drawback  upon  one's  satisfaction* 


THE    SABBATH.  61 


and  that  is  the  desecration  of  the  Sabbath.  One  does  not 
feel  quite  satisfied,  brought  up  as  we  all  were  in  the  "  land 
of  steady  habits,"  to  spend  it  as  we  are  in  fact  compelled  to 
here.  If  we  go  to  church  we  cannot  understand  the 
preacher,  though  we  might  tolerate  the  form,  while  that  of 
the  Catholic  church  here  is  so  much  more  a  matter  of  form 
than  with  us,  that  you  cannot  be  pleased.  Then  the  custom 
here  of  devoting  part  of  the  day  to  amusement,  prevails  not 
only  in  Catholic  countries,  but  even  where  Lutheran  and 
Greek  are  the  established  churches.  Goods  are  displayed 
in  their  shops,  and  they  spend  the  day  and  evening  as  I  have 
described  at  the  cafes,  with  their  knitting  and  music.  It 
seems  to  me  nothing  will  give  me  a  more  joyful  feeling  on 
my  return  to  America  than  tlie  "  sound  of  the  church  going 
bell."  I  was  last  night  at  one  of  the  cafes,  where  all  seemed 
so  sociable  and  happy,  that  it  made  me  feel  very  sad  that  I 
had  not  my  friends  around  to  chat  to.  To  be  sure  we  are 
five,  but  being  always  together,  our  topics  are  generally  ex- 
hausted, and  there  is  none  of  the  novelty  and  excitement 
that  there  is  attendant  upon  the  meeting  of  one's  friends 
and  acquaintances.  I  sometimes  feel  that  my  letters  afford 
you  little  satisfaction,  and  hardly  repay  you  for  reading 
through  such  intricate  and  puzzling  writing — the  descrip- 
tions I  give,  written  in  such  haste,  when  ready  to  fall  asleep 
with  fatigue,  fall  so  far  short  of  the  reality.  It  is  now  a 
month  since  we  have  had  any  letters,  and  we  are  anxious  to 
reach  Vienna,  where  they  are  awaiting  us,  and  I  trust  with 
nought  but  good  news ;  but  there  are  always  very  anxious 
feelings  among  us  antecedent  to  the  receipt  of  our  letters. 


62  SAXONY. 


LETTER  VI. 

KONIGSTEIN PRAGUE BOHEMIA SMOKERS NOVEL  RAIL- 
ROAD  LINTZ ISCHL FETE  DAY  AT  GMUNDEN DRESS  OF 

THE  PEASANTRY THE  SALTSKAMMERGAT LIFE  AT  THE 

BATHS MARIA    LOUISA PRISON    OF    RICHARD    CCEUR    DE 

LION STRAUSS    AND  LANNA NAVIGATION    OF    THE    DA- 
NUBE. 

We  purpose  on  leaving  here  to  go  to  Munich  through 
some  beautiful  mountain  scenery,  that  of  Salzburg  and  the 
Styrian  Alps,  and  after  seeing  Switzerland,  direct  our  course 
through  the  northeastern  part  of  Italy  to  Trieste,  when  we 
shall  take  passage  for  Greece,  and  after  making  some  stay 
there,  proceed  to  •Constantinople.  We  left  Dresden  in 
a  steamer  up  the  Elbe  ;  the  scenery  all  the  way  is  most  en- 
chanting, exceeding  in  beauty  any  river  upon  which  we 
have  sailed.  The  captain  says  he  thinks  it  exceeds  even  that 
of  the  Rhine.  After  leaving  Dresden,  the  Elbe  passes  through 
Saxon  Switzerland,  the  high  and  rocky  banks  of  which  are 
celebrated  for  the  quantity  of  half  precious  stones  they  con- 
tain. About  two  hours'  sail  brought  us  to  an  exceeding  high 
mountain,  Konigstein,  or  King's  Rock,  on  whose  summit  is 
a  natural  fortification  called  the  "  Virgin  Fortress,"  from  its 
having  never  been  taken.  Even  the  walls  at  the  top  and  the 
round  and  square  towers  at  the  angles  are  all  natural,  as  if 
hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock.  It  is  capable  of  sustaining  a  very 
long  siege — the  ground  within  the  enclosure  is  sufficient  to 
produce  a  vast  quantity  of  provisions,  and  the  vaults  under- 
neath are  capacious  enough  to  contain,  and  deep  and  cool 
enough  to  preserve  a  supply  for  a  great  length  of  time.  At 
present  they  are  living  on  provisions  placed  there  in  1831. 


BOHEMIA BEAUTIES    OP    THE    ELBE.  63 

It  is  here  that  in  troublesome  times,  the  king  sends  all  his 
regalia,  pictures  and  other  valuables.  The  banks  of  the 
Elbe  are  truly  grand  and  magnificent ;  the  time-worn  rocks 
seem  as  if  broken  and  indented  by  many  a  flood  and  deluge, 
and  formed  by  them  into  all  sorts  of  fantastic  shapes — for- 
tresses and  castles  high  in  air.  Villages  are  planted  in  the 
gorges  of  the  mountains,  dark  ravines  extend  farther  than 
the  eye  can  reach,  while  richly  cultivated  upland  glades 
stretch  far  in  the  distance  to  the  sky.  After  leaving  Saxon 
Switzerland,  we  enter  Bohemia,  and  see  thickly  scattered 
around  the  villages  many  a  cross  and  shrine,  the  latter  stand- 
ing high  upon  some  lofty  mound,  or  almost  hidden  in  some 
green  and  shady  dell.  The  women,  too,  who  are  busy  in 
the  fields,  are  dressed  very  neat  and  gay,  contrasting  well 
with  the  rich  bright  green  of  the  fields  and  trees,  and  adding 
much  to  the  beauty  of  the  landscape,  while  some  are  trudg- 
ing along  under  the  loaded  baskets  they  carry  on  their 
backs.  And  such  delicious  fruits  as  we  were  tempted  to  buy 
at  the  landing,  bright  red  apples  and  yellow  apricots,  purple 
and  yellow  plums  of  a  delicious  flavor !  On  our  way,  we 
passed  some  fine  old  castles,  ruined  and  deserted,  (save  by 
some  peasant  or  shepherd  who  tills  the  ground  or  watches 
his  fold  hard  by,)  perched  upon  some  apparently  inaccessi- 
ble mountain,  having  an  entire  command  of  the  river,  whfch 
in  some  parts  is  very  rapid.  In  one  place  there  is  such  a 
descent  as  to  cause  a  fall  of  some  ten  feet,  which  makes  the 
upward  navigation  of  the  river  very  tedious.  The  crosses 
and  crucifixes  thickened  as  we  proceeded  farther  into  this 
Catholic  country,  (Bohemia.)  Many  of  them  are  placed 
upon  the  highest  peak  of  the  mountains,  and  now  and 
then  a  little  chapel,  and  sometimes  a  small  church,  with 
its  tapering  spire,  surmounted  by  a  glittering  cross,  and 
low  brown  huts  clustering  around  it,  like  chickens  under 
the  wing  of  the  mother  hen.     We  arrived   at  our  place 


64  PRAGUE. 


of  debarkation  at  three,  A.  M.,  and  were  roused  to  take 
our  places  in  the  omnibus  that  was  to  convey  us  twenty- 
two  miles  to  Prague,  where  we  arrived  at  half-past  seven. 
Prague  is  delightfully  situated  on  the  river  Moldau,  sur- 
rounded on  all  sides  by  lovely  scenery.  Vineyards  cover 
the  hills  along  the  If^nk  of  the  river,  which  is  crossed  at  the 
city  by  two  fine  bridges,  one  an  iron  suspension  bridge,  and 
the  other  stone,  having  upon  it  twenty-eight  statues  of  the 
size  of  life.  The  cathedral  contains  a  silver  shrine  in  ho- 
nor of  the  city's  patron,  St.  John.  It  has  seven  figures,  life 
size,  and  as  many  more  half  as  large,  besides  rhany  vases 
and  other  ornaments,  all  of  pure  silver.  The  dome  or  tower 
of  this  cathedral  served  as  a  target  to  Frederick  the  Great  in 
his  seven  years'  war,  and  still  bears  the  marks  of  the  balls, 
as  well  as  some  of  the  balls  themselves,  embedded  in  the 
walls  of  the  tower,  and  in  its  battered  and  ruined  sides. 
There  are  many  fine  palaces  here,  but  all  deserted  by  their 
princely  owners,  and  many  of  them  let  out  to  poor  people. 
Prague  is  called  one  of  the  finest  cities  of  Europe.  It 
certainly  shows  many  remains  of  former  grandeur,  but  must 
be  numbered  with  "  the  things  that  were,"  with  its  silent 
and  grass-grown  streets,  its  empty  palaces — 
"  Their  banquet  halls  deserted, 

The  lights  all  fled,  the  garlands  dead, 
And  all  their  guests  departed." 

In  fact  the  glory  of  Prague  is  no  more.  But  with  its  mag- 
nificent but  dilapidated  churches,  its  historical  associations, 
its  beautiful  location,  the  lovely  scenery  of  the  river  Moldau, 
on  each  side  of  which  it  is  built,  it  forms  altogether  a  pic- 
ture not  easily  forgotten,  upon  which  the  memory  will  long 
love  to  dwell.  We  left  at  eight,  A.  M.  in  a  travelling  car- 
riage, which  our  party  and  baggage  contrived  to  fill.  The 
day  was  oppressively  warm ;  still  we  enjoyed  the  fine  coun- 
try, surrounded  on  all  sides  by  high  mountains,  and  found  at 


MOUNTAIN   RAILROAD.  65 

every  step  mementoes  of  Popery,  in  crosses,  crucifixes, 
shrines  and  chapels. 

Bohemia  is  called  the  "  kettle  land,"  from  its  being  one 
continued  plain,  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  mountains,  with 
Prague  in  the  middle.  The  people  here  have  a  dress  pecu- 
liar to  themselves — the  female  costume  being  a  jacket,  skirtj 
and  apron,  each  of  a  different  color,  bright  red  stock- 
ings, short  skirts  to  display  their  very  thick  ankles,  and 
shawls  tied  over  their  heads,  with  the  ends  streaming  out 
behind.  The  men  have  jackets  of  velvet,  short  leather 
breeches,  (black  or  yellow,)  Napoleon  boots,  and  gay  cock- 
ades stuck  upon  their  hats — children  the  same.  We  find 
things  in  the  most  primitive  style  at  our  stopping  places. 
The  Germans  and  Bohemians  are  inveterate  smokers  ;  the 
men  when  they  travel  all  wear,  suspended  by  a  string  from 
a  strap  over  their  shoulders,  a  leather  bag,  calculated  to  contain 
tobacco  for  a  month's  jaunt,  and  their  pipes  suspended  from 
a  button  of  their  coats.  They  ornament  their  horses  in 
a  singular  manner,  with  peaked  collars,  at  least  a  foot 
high,  and  large  brass  plates  of  different  sizes  strung  along  on 
the  harness.  Afler  two  days'  travel  from  Prague,  we  reached 
Budwies  at  half-past  eight,  P.  M. 

We  travelled  to-day  over  a  mountain  on  a  rail-road, 
in  a  coach  drawn  by  horses,  the  road  winding  in  a  zig-zag 
manner,  (like  the  turnpike  up  the  Catskills,)  and  through  the 
most  beautiful  country  imaginable.  On  reaching  an  eleva- 
tion of  1400  feet  above  the  level  of  Lintz  (the  capital  of  Up- 
per Austria)  our  destination,  we  began  to  descend  in  a  still 
more  wandering  and  crooked  manner,  through  a  still  more 
beautiful  country.  High  mountains  covered  with  dark 
forests,  or  cultivated  and  built  upon  to  the  very  top  ;  deep 
dark  ravines  and  smiling  valleys  beneath  and  between — it 
certainly  exceeded  all  the  railroad  travel  of  my  experience. 
At  six,  P.  M,,  from  the  side  of  this  beautiful  mountain,  we 


66  -Liwrz. 

caught  our  first  glimpse  of  the  Danube,  with  the  white 
houses  of  JLintz  gleaming  up  from  amidst  its  waves,  and  al- 
though we  were  apparently  within  ten  minutes  drive  of  it, 
we  were  more  than  an  hour  playing  "  bo  peep"  with  it  be- 
fore we  arrived  within  its  mountain-locked  valley.  "  Oh, 
how  beautiful  !"  was  the  exclamation  of  us  all  ;  nor  did  we 
tire  of  gazing,  but  endeavored  to  catch  a  glimpse  at  every 
opening. 

Lintz  is  a  pretty  town  with  a  population  of  about  twenty 
five  thousand,  the  capital  of  Upper  Austria,  and  on  the 
upper  side  of  the  Danube.  Our  hotel  is  in  the  great  market- 
place, in  the  centre  of  which  is  a  large  handsome  monu- 
ment called  the  "  Trinity  Column,"  placed  there  to  comme- 
morate the  escape  of  the  town  from  the  threatened  attacks 
of  the  Turks  and  the  plague.  The  women  here  wear  a  very 
singular  head-dress  (shapad  like  a  helmet)  of  gold  tissue  or 
black  lace.  Some  wear  black  silk  shawls  tied  about  the  head, 
with  the  ends  falling  down  behind.  We  left  Lintz  at  seven 
A.M.,  by  railroad  for  Ischl,  a  German  watering  place  much 
frequented  during  the  summer  by  all  the  court  as  well  as 
all  the  "  beau  monde'''  of  Austria,  to  bathe  in  and  drink  the 
salt  water  of  the  mine,  as  well  as  the  sulphurous  water  of  the 
springs  of  the  mountains  of  the  Saltskammergat.  It  is  a 
small  place  consisting  principally  of  hotels  and  lodging 
houses,  cafes  and  bathing  houses,  with  a  place  similar  to  the 
one  at  Saratoga,  where  they  go  before  breakfast  to  drink 
the  salt  water,  and  a  species  of  whey  made  of  milk  and  salt 
water.  Though  the  town  (Ischl)  is  small,  its  location  is  most 
delightful,  situated  in  a  richly  cultivated  valley,  bounded 
on  every  side  by  immense  high  mountains.  The  eye  in 
every  direction  rests  on  the  snow-clad  chain  of  the  Salzburg 
and  Styrian  Alps.  Conspicuous  among  them  is  the  Trauji- 
stein,  whose  rugged  face  looks  down,  and  sees  itself  reflecled 
in  the  beautiflil-  waters  of  the  Traun  Lake,  one  of  the  love- 


GMUNDEN.  67 


liest  scenes  which  the  Saltskammergat  presents.  On  our 
way  from  Lintz  to  Ischl,  we  went  a  few  miles  off  the  road  to 
see  the  falls  of  the  Traun,  beautiful  and  picturesque,  which, 
though  somewhat  diminutive  to  American  eyes,  were  well 
worth  a  visit.  The  water  falls  from  a  height  of  forty-two 
feet  over  a  projecting  ledge  "  a  la  Niagara,"  so  that  from 
the  extreme  end  you  may  see  behind  the  sheet  falling 
over.  Its  waters,  I  think,  are  the  most  beautiful  color  of  any 
that  I  have  ever  seen  ,ofa  clear  transparent  "beryl-green." 
By  the  side  of  the  fall,  along  the  bank,  is  a  curious 
wooden  canal,  an  aquatic  inclined  plane  or  water  railway, 
by  which  boats  descend  the  fall.  The  descent  is  made 
almost  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  and  with  perfect  safety, 
though  the  boat  is  tossed  and  tumbled  about  not  a  little. 

The  railroad  takes  us  to  Gmunden,  a  pretty  town  whose 
houses  the  guide  book  tells  us  look  quite  English,  but  in  my 
opinion  more  American,  with  their  neat  white  exterior,  green 
blinds  and  doors,  and  pretty  grass  plats  and  flowers  in  front. 
At  this  place  we  take  a  steamboat  to  cross  the  Traun  lake, 
the  approach  to  which  is  magnificent.  The  mountains  rise 
one  above  another  to  a  towering  height  in  the  form  of  an 
amphitheatre,  and  the  light  feathery  clouds  of  evening  were 
veiling  them  from  the  base  to  the  summit,  ks  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach,  tall  forest  trees  covered  the  sides  of  some,  while 
others  presented  a  bare  and  rugged  face  of  stone,  particu- 
larly the  Traunstein,  which  has  the  appearance  of  having 
been  cleft  in  twain.  At  Gmunden  the  streets  were  almost 
impassable  from  the  number  of  people  gathered  in  them.  It 
was  a  fete  day,  and  all  were  attired  in  their  holiday  dress, 
the  women  in  their  prettiest  helmets  with  gay  colors,  jacket, 
skirt,  apron  and  shawl,  each  different  in  color.  The  men 
in  their  black  or  yellow  leather  breeches,  steeple  crowned 
hats  of  green  felt,  with  a  broad  green  ribbon  band,  with 
sometimes  a  bouquet  of  flowers,  and  others  with  a  bunch  of 


68  TRAUN    LAKE. 


feathers  like  the  wing  of  a  partridge,  stuck  with  a  jaunty 
air  in  the  band,  a  little  one  side.  They  all  looked  happy 
and  merry,  but  I  am  sorry  to  say  many  of  them  were  disfig- 
ured by  that  hideous  deformity  the  Goitre,  caused,  it  is  said, 
by  drinking  the  melted  snow-waters  of  the  mountains,  the 
summits  of  most  of  them  being  covered  with  a  perpetual 
snow,  through  which,  on  the  tops  of  some  of  the  highest, 
grows  a  pretty  flower  which  is  gathered  and  brought  to  Ischl 
to  sell.  The  Traun  lake  is  about  eight  miles  long,  its  sides 
are  one  continued  range  of  mountains,  with  here  and  there 
an  opening,  where  smiles  a  lovely  valley  rich  in  vegetation. 
The  waters  of  the  lake,  as  well  as  the  Traun  river,  are  of 
the  same  beautiful  green  as  the  fall.  It  is  not  so  transpar- 
ent as  to  admit  of  seeing  the  bottom  like  Lake  George,  but 
seems  sufficiently  cool  and  lucid  to  be  drinkable.  Near  the 
centre  of  the  lake  is  a  beautiful  island,  on  w^hich  is  a  chateau* 
a  church  and  a  chapel,  shrine  and  crucifix,  each  placed  on 
a  separate  knoll,  rising  one  above  the  other,  all  painted 
white,  which,  contrasted  with  the  rich  green  island,  has  a 
pretty  effect.  There  is  a  pretty  story  attached  to  it,  similar 
to  that  of  Hero  and  Leander,  and  which  is  also  the  subject 
of  a  German  Poem. 

As  we  neared  the  other  extremity  of  the  lake,  we  passed 
a  number  of  rocks  above  the  water,  on  which  were  placed 
crucifixes,  to  these  the  Catholic  passengers  with  us,  took  off" 
their  hats  and  inclined  their  heads.  At  the  end  of  the  lake 
we  took  an  omnibus  coach,  and  passed  through  a  continua- 
tion of  the  same  beautiful  mountain  scenery,  said  to  equal 
that  of  Switzerland.  The  road  is  on  the  banks  of  the  Traun 
river  all  the  way  to  Ischl,  twelve  miles.  There  is  an  im- 
mense  quantity  of  timber  and  lumber  floated  down  this  river. 
It  is  cut  on  the  sides  of  the  mountains,  from  whence  they 
slide  it  down  into  the  river,  where  the  current  is  very  strong 
and  rapid,  which  takes  its  floating  in   this  loose  way  to  the 


THE    SALTSKAMMERGAT.  60 

lake ;  here  long  booms  are  fastened  together,  extending 
from  the  mouth  of  the  river  to  the  other  extremity  of  the 
lake,  one  on  either  side,  then  another  across  the  lake  col- 
lects it  together,  and  so  it  is  secured.  The  Saltskammergat, 
as  it  is  called,  is  a  mountainous  country,  in  which  mountains 
a  vast  quantity  of  salt  abounds.  Kammergat  means  "  cham- 
ber money,"  equivalent  to  "  pin  money."  It  is  the  pro- 
perty of  the  Emperor,  from  which  he  receives  an  immense 
income  for  his  own  private  use,  and  for  which  he  is  not  ex- 
pected to  account.  The  country  all  about  this  region  abounds 
in  beautiful  and  picturesque  scenery,  but  we  had  not  time  to 
explore  it.  A  lady  who  had  spent  three  weeks  in  making 
excursions,  told  me  she  had  seen  no  less  than  eleven  lakes 
in  the  vicinity,  and  that  on  some  of  the  mountains  they  had 
been  in  snow  up  to  the  breasts  of  their  horses.  Our  Min- 
ister to  Austria  told  me  he  had  been  on  some  of  these  moun- 
tains and  looked  down  upon  valleys  where  the  snow  was 
one  hundred  feet  deep.  The  mode  of  life  at  these  springs 
is  similar  to  that  at  Saratoga.  The  ladies  betimes  in  the 
morning,  walk  to  the  saloon,  where  there  is  a  boy  in  attend- 
ance to  hand  them  whey  or  salt  water  as  they  choose.  They 
take  a  few  turns  on  the  piazza  of  this  saloon,  or  on  an  es- 
planade near  by,  where  a  band  of  music  is  sditioned  every 
morning  for  an  hour.  They  then  take  another  glass,  which 
seems  to  suffice — they  then  repair  to  mass  in  the  cathedral 
opposite,  after  which  they  breakfast  about  nine.  Then 
some  go  to  ride,  some  take  a  book  or  their  work,  and  sit  or 
walk  on  the  esplanade,  and  others,  whose  health  requires  it 
take  a  bath,  which  is  only  done  by  order,  and  with  the  pres- 
cription of  a  physician,  and  which  is  diluted  according  to 
his  direction.  They  are  either  salt  alone,  salt  and  sulphur 
mixed,  and  a  kind  called  mud  baths,  the  draining,  slime  and 
sediment  from  the  chambers  of  the  salt  mines.  They  have 
no  gathering  place  within  the  hotels,  they  dine  at  table  d\ 


70  NOTABLES. 


hdte  from  one  to  three,  then  ride  or  walk  as  they  chocse. 
Those  who  remain  for  a  length  of  time  make  excursions  into 
the  mountains,  and  there  is  very  good  fishing  for  gentlemen. 
There  is  also  a  theatre,  and  sometimes  balls.  We  had  the 
good  fortune  while  here  to  see  the  Ex-Empress,  Maria 
Louisa,  daughter  of  the  late  Emperor  Francis,  and  widow 
of  Napoleon.  We  looked  upon  her  as  part  of  the  history 
of  Europe,  and  a  great  curiosity,  though,  in  fact,  both  in 
looks  and  character,  she  is  very  common  place.  She  has 
been  married  three  times.  Of  the  second  marriage  there 
were  three  children,  two  of  whom  are  living.  Her  third 
marriage  is  private,  that  is,  not  generally  known.  In  these 
countries  they  have  among  the  royal  family  a  kind  of  left- 
handed  marriage  called  "Morganatic,"  which  does  not  allow 
her  children  of  the  third  to  be  heirs.  The  late  king  of 
Prussia  had  two  wives  at  once,  and  both  on  good  terms  and 
of  rank  and  station.  The  Ex-Empress  is  53  years  old — old 
and  ugly,  and  though  rich,  goes  in  no  state,  and  dresses  very 
plainly. — She  was  carried  about  in  an  open  sedan  chair,  and 
has  a  hotel  for  herself  and  suite  and  two  soldiers  as  guards 
at  the  entrance.  We  likewise  here  saw  Prince  Schwart- 
zeriberg  the  son  of  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Allied 
Armies  at  the  battle  of  Leipsic,  and  Prince  Shonborn,  son- 
in-law  of  Prince  Metternich,  both  of  whom  wore  green  stee- 
ple crowned  hats  with  a'  heron's  plume,  and  huge  mustaches. 
We  were  also  so  fortunate  as  to  see  the  Archduke  Charles, 
the  heir  presumptive  of  the  throne  of  Austria,  and  his  son  the 
heir  apparent.  Neither  the  King  of  Prussia  or  Saxony,  or 
the  Emperor  of  Austria,  have  any  children,  and  the  brother 
of  each  is  h  eir  to  their  respective  thrones.  These  salt 
mines  produce  an  immense  quantity  of  salt.  At  one  of  the 
turn-outs  on  the  railroad  we  counted  twenty-seven  wagon 
loads,  as  large  as  any  loads  of  barrels  we  see  going  to  and 
from  our  mills,  and  at  others  apparently  as  many  more.    We 


SAIL    DOWN    THE    DANUBE.  71 

saw  at  Ischl  two  peasants  from  the  vale  of  Ouseiy,  dressed 
in  the  Swiss  style,  white  skirts,  pretty  aprons  and  tight  fit- 
ting bodices,  immense  large  brimmed  hats,  with  low  flat 
crowns  and  gay  plaid  streamers  behind.  We  returned  from 
Ischl  to  Lintz.  and  from  thence  on  the  morning  of  the  first  of 
September  took  steamer  down  the  Danube  to  Vienna.  We 
were  detained  in  the  boat  for  an  hour  on  account  of  a  thick 
fog,  but  as,  when  leaving,  the  sun  came  out,  it  was  dispersed, 
above  we  had  a  beautiful  view  of  the  citadel  of  Lintz,  with 
its  towers  and  its  beautiful  chateau,  church  and  fortifications. 
The  top  of  the  mountain  upon  w^hich  they  are  placed  was 
enveloped  in  light  fleecy  clouds,  the  base  in  an  impenetra- 
ble mist,  so  there  was  nothing  seen  of  it  until  the  sun  shin- 
ing above  brought  out  the  citadel  distinctly  like  a  Chateau 
d'Espagne,  literally  "  a  castle  in  the  air."  The  sail  down 
the  Danube  to  Vienna  is  gVery  beautiful ;  high  mountains 
on  either  side,  with  their  sides  covered  with  vineyards,  ex- 
tending upwards  till  they  are  lost  to  the  eye  in  the  vegeta- 
tion at  the  top.  At  their  base  are  pretty  parterres  planted 
with  melons,  vegetables  and  vines,  wherever  the  slope  will 
admit,  and  clusters  of  houses  with  their  odd  and  antique 
looking  churches,  entirely  unique,  diflering  from  any  we  have 
yet  seen.  Beautiful  monasteries  of  great  extent,  more  like 
palaces  than  aught  else,  and  convents  equally  magnificent, 
possess,  as  we  were  told,  the  country  around  them  for  miles 
and  miles. 

There  are  very  many  ruins  of  castles,  monasteries  and 
churches,  in  different  stages  of  dilapidation  and  decay.  One 
of  the  most  interesting,  as  well  as  picturesque,  is  the  castle 
of  Durenstein,  the  prison  of  "  Richard  Cceur  de  Lion,"  where 
he  was  kept  in  "durance  vile"  fifteen  months  by  the  treacher- 
ous and  vindictive  Leopold  of  Austria.  It  is  literally  a  ruin, 
its  fissured  top  standing  in  beautiful  relief  against  the  sky, 
perched  as  it  is  on   the  topmost  peak  of  a  high  hill,  from 


72  VIENNA. 


the  summit  of  which  long  lines  of  battlemented  walls  stretch 
themselves  to  the  water's  edge. 

The  navigation  of  the  Danube  is  extremely  difficult.  In 
some  parts  of  the  river  there  are  rapid  eddies  and  whirlpools, 
in  passing  which,  the  boat  seemed  to  struggle  and  bend,  as 
if  hardly  able  to  contend  against  such  unequal  and  unusual 
tactics  in  aquatic  warfare.  At  other  times  it  shoals  so  that 
her  keel  grated  for  a  long  distance  against  the  pebbles  at 
the  bottom,  and  there  was  an  eager  and  watchful  suspense 
lest  we  should  ground.  It  is  said  that  the  bars  and  shoals 
shift  their  position  between  the  trips  of  the  boat  up  and 
down,  so  that  the  captain  has  to  depend  on  his  judgment  as 
well  as  upon  his  knowledge  of  the  river.  The  current  is 
very  strong,  enabling  the  boat  to  go  at  the  rate  of  sixteen 
or  twenty  miles  an  hour,  and  the  voyage  down  is  made  in 
eight  hours,  while  they  are  twenty-six  going  up.  We 
reached  the  landing  about  five,  but  with  the  delay  at  the 
barrier,  by  the  custom-house  officers,  who  are  very  strict, 
where  w^e  underwent  the  most  rigid  scrutiny  and  overhaul- 
ing our  baggage,  which  is  excessively  annoying,  and  then 
going  from  one  hotel  to  another  before  we  could  find  lodg- 
ings, it  was  nine  o'clock  before  we  were  settled. 

Vienna  is  a  charming  city;  and  here  too  our  "lucky  star" 
has  been  in  the  ascendant,  for  we  have  seen  the  Emperor, 
and  heard  Strauss  Lannas,  and  his  magnificent  band,  and 
Lanna's  too.  Lanna  himself  is  dead,  but  his  band  in  num- 
ber, twenty-five,  still  keep  together.  They  play  somewhere 
every  night,  and  we  hear  them  frequently.  Notwithstand- 
ing this  is  an  absolute  government — the  people  governed  by 
the  Emperor,  Metternich,  and  one  other  individual,  are  very 
happy,  contented  and  sociable,  and  the  sovereign  very  much 
beloved,  as  was  his  father  Francis  I.,  "  the  father  of  his 
people,"  as  he  was  called.  We  find  the  better  classes 
whom  we  meet  in  the  public  gardens  very  afl^able,  courteous 


PICTURE    GALLERIES.  73 

and  conversable.  Even  the  English  have  to  allow  that  the 
people  here  seem  to  be  happier  than  in  England,  which 
to  all  other  eyes  is  plain  to  be  seen. 

All  the  picture  galleries  of  the  palaces  of  the  Emperor 
and  Princes  are  open  every  day  to  the  public,  free  of  charge, 
save  a  small  donation  to  the  servant  who  takes  charge  of 
umbrellas,  canes,  &c.,  and  opens  the  doors  of  the  different 
rooms. 


74 


ZURICH. 


LETTER  VIL 

ZURICH,      ITS    LAKE MAXIMILIAN     TOWNS    OF     LINTZ THS! 

JESUITS SALZBURG,  ITS  CATHEDRAL—PEASANTRY,  FOUN- 
TAIN AND  SCENERY. 

Zurich,  (Switzerland,)  September  14. 
"  On  the  margin  of  fair  Zurich's  waters"  this  is  commenc- 
ed,  to  be  sent  from  Milan.  I  would  that  the  beauty  of  the 
charming  scenery  round  the  loveliest  lake  we  have  yet  seen, 
could  inspire  me  with  words  adequate  to  the  description, 
but  I  might  exhaust  all  the  epithets  of  the  beautiful,  and  then 
fail.  I  do  not  think  it  possible  to  give  by  description  any 
satisfactory  idea  of  a  beautiful  landscape.  It  must  be  see3fj 
to  be  realized.  I  will,  however,  give  you  some  of  the  main 
features,  and  your  vivid  imagination  must  fill  up  the  picture. 
The  town  is  situated  on  both  banks  of  the  Linmoth,  a 
small  river,  the  outlet  of  the  lake,  which  divides  the  town 
into  two  unequal  parts.  The  lake  is  about  twenty  miles 
long,  and  one  and  a  half  wide,  and  opens  directly  in  the 
front  of  the  town,  within  view  from  which  lies,  at  a  little 
distance  from  the  land,  a  little  isle,  prettily  planted  with  trees, 
under  which  are  placed  tables  and  seats,  which  serve  as  a 
place  of  resort  during  the  warm  days  of  summer.  Around, 
between  the  island  and  the  shore,  float  a  number  of  Gondo- 
la-like  boats,  with  their  gay  canopies,  and  striped  pennons, 
floating  in  the  air.  As  far  as  the  eye  can  distinguish,  vil= 
lages  and  hamlets  are  scattered  along  the  banks.  Far  in 
the  distance,  opposite  the  town,  is  a  range  of  young  moun- 
tains covered  with  the  verdure  of  pastures,  and  vineyards,  ox 


DEPARTURE    FROM    VIENNA.  75 

fir-trees.  High  above  these  the  patriarchs  of  the  mountains 
rear  their  frosty  summits,  some  still  retaining  enough  of  the 
raven  hue  of  youth,  to  show  that  they  were  not  always  thus 
grizzled  or  covered  with  the  hoar  frost  of  age.  One  lofty 
peak  of  the  Jungfrau  in  particular,  was  one  mass  of  white,  as 
if  covered  with  new-fallen  snow,  and  seemed  to  glisten  even 
at  this  distance,  while  gilded  with  the  rays  of  the  setting 
sun,  by  which  we  viewed  it  from  a  high  point  of  what  was 
formerly  the  bastions,  now  converted  into  a  botanical  gar- 
den. While  I  am  writing,  some  one  passing,  is  trilling  one 
of  the  Swiss  airs,  like  the  "  Rans  deVache,"  with  the  pecu- 
liar intonations  which  are  given  to  the  parts  repeated. 

On  our  return  from  our  walk  to  the  bastions  to  view  the 
distant  mountains,  we  were  shown  the  house  where  Lavater 
lived,  and  the  church  opposite  in  which  he  preached.  The 
finest  church  in  outward  appearance  in  Zurich  was  pointed 
out,  the  first  story  of  which  was  built  by  Charlemagne,  the  up- 
per part  added  by  Zuingle  (or  Zuinglius)  one  of  the  great  Pro- 
testant reformers,  and  the  two  towers  since  added  by  the  citi- 
zens. The  Canton  of  Zurich  is  a  Protestant  government  and 
people,  surrounded  by  Catholics.  Their  form  of  worship  is 
similar  to  the  Church  of  England,  and  all,  and  everything 
show  improvement  entering  it  from  a  country,  (Austria,)  ex- 
hibiting marks  and  mementoes  of  Popery  on  every  side. 
I  must,  however,  leave,  as  T  said,  the  rest  to  your  imagina- 
tion, which  I  am  sure  can  in  no  way  exceed  the  reality,  and 
go  back  to  trace  the  course  we  have  taken. 

We  left  Vienna  Thursday,  September  14th,  after  a  stay  of 
two  weeks,  enjoying  ourselves  exceedingly.  We  returned 
to  Lintz  up  the  Danube,  taking  twenty-six  hours  to  perform 
what  is  accomplished  in  eight  hours  going  down  the  river. 
We  made  the  acquaintance  of  a  very  pleasant  gentlemanly 
man,  Mr,  P.,  of  Vienna,  who  spoke  English  very  well,  and 
had  with   him  his  little  son,  who  also  spoke  English.     We 


76  NEW    FORTIFICATIONS. 

arrived  at  Lintz  about  eleven  A.M.,  Friday,  and  as  we  could 
not  leave  there  till  the  next  morning,  we  all  of  us  whiled 
away  the  time  visiting  one  of  the  towers  which  were  built 
by  the  Prince  Maximilian,  brother  of  the  Emperor,  on  a  plan 
of  his  own,  and  as  yet  an  untried  experiment  in  the  way  of 
fortification.  They  were  built  at  great  cost,  and  at  his  own 
expense.  The  citadel  I  described  to  you  in  my  last  has  one 
of  these  towers  at  each  of  its  angles,  and  there  are  no  less 
than  thirty-three  of  them  in  a  circumference  of  nine  miles. 
They  are  circular,  consisting  of  four  stories,  two  below  the 
ground  and  two  above.  The  ground  floor  is  the  magazine, 
the  two  lower  stories  the  barracks,  where  they  may  cook  for 
one  hundred  and  twenty  men.  Each  has  a  bakery  com- 
plete, a  pump,  engine,  &;c.  In  the  third  story  are  the  sleep- 
ing apartments,  and  the  fourth  (the  roof  of  which  is  removed 
when  they  proceed  to  action)  is  the  battery,  where  are  can- 
non pointing  in  every  direction,  and  a  machine  in  the  centre 
to  draw  or  hoist  things  from  below.  There  are  also  cannon 
in  the  third  story  pointing  more  downwards  to  protect  the 
immediate  vicinity.  The  cannon  of  the  fourth  story  of  all 
the  towers  cross  or  bear  upon  each  other,  so  that  nothing  can 
pass  them  with  impunity.  This  mode  of  fortification,  as  I 
have  said,  has  never  been  proved,  but  the  city  of  Paris,  in 
building  its  new  fortifications,  has  adopted  the  plan  with  the 
improvement  of  subterranean  passages  from  one  tower  to 
another.  Leaving  this  we  went  to  see  the  Jesuits'  College, 
from  the  top  of  which  is  a  fine  view  of  the  town,  the  Danube, 
and  the  surrounding  country.  The  society  is  allowed  by  go- 
vernment, and  is  the  only  one  in  Austria  of  this  order.  Mr. 
P.  said  he  believed  their  rules  forbade  the  admittance  of 
females  into  the  interior,  but  I  might  put  on  my  most  inno- 
cent looks  and  we  would  try  ;  but  when  the  gentleman  re- 
quested for  the  sake  of  the  prospect,  to  ascend  to  the  top, 
the  monk  who  opened  the  door  very  civilly  granted  the  re- 


THE    JESUITS.  77 


quest  to  all  but  the  dame^  so  I  was  obliged  to  stand  behind 
the  outer  door  and  wait  the  return  of  the  rest — the  absur- 
dity of  which  so  overcame  Mr.  C's.  risibilities,  as  he  followed 
the  monks  up  stairs,  with  a  number  of  others  who  were  as- 
cending, loaded  with  books,  that  he  laughed  out-right,  much 
to  the  embarrassment  of  Mr.  P.  as  well  as  to  the  surprise 
and  wonder  of  the  monks.  Mr.  P.  told  me  afterwards  that 
I  only  wanted  a  lighted  candle  in  my  hand  as  I  stood  behind 
the  door  to  complete  the  penance  which  they  sometimes  in- 
flict upon  naughty  women,  and  we  all  laughed  heartily  as  we 
walked  away,  the  monks  taking  good  care  to  see  all  they 
could  without  committing  themselves.  The  Jesuits  wear  a 
long  black  dress,  confined  at  the  waist  with  a  broad  band, 
the  ends  of  which  are  fringed,  and  have  attached  on  one  side 
a  rosary  and  cross.  Their  heads  have  a  place  on  the  crown 
about  the  size  of  a  dollar  closely  shaven.  Over  this,  out  of 
doors,  they  wear  a  black  silk  skull  cap,  and  when  they  ex- 
tend their  walks,  they  wear  a  broad  brimmed  black  beaver 
hat,  looped  up  on  either  side  with  a  cord.  The  ground  is 
very  elevated  here,  giving  a  fine  view  of  a  beautiful  land 
scape.  Near  the  tower,  or  college  as  it  is  now,  the  society 
have  a  church  in  the  Byzantine  style,  and  the  two  form  a 
very  pretty  feature  in  the  scenery  of  Lintz.  Early  the  next 
morning  we  took  our  places  in  the  rail-car,  and  proceeded 
with  our  agreeable  companions  as  far  as  Lambech,  where 
we  parted  from  them — they  continued  on  to  Ischl,  we 
taking  our  route  to  Salzburg.  We  had  not  been  long  seated 
when  two  priests  of  the  Jesuits  took  their  seats  behind  us. 
They  were  by  no  means  young  or  handsome,  and  lest  some 
evil  might  occur  to  them  from  my  propinquity,  I  as  much  as 
possible  turned  my  back  upon  them.  When  we  began  to 
move  on,  Mr.  C,  however,  commenced  a  conversation  with 
them,  and  they  seemed  affable,  well-informed  and  agreeable. 
One  of  them  was  the  director  of  the  college  or  society.    He 


SALZBURG. 


had  his  beads  and  cross  attached  to  his  belt,  and  around  his 
neck,  suspended  by  a  silk  cord,  a  bronze  crucifix  near  a  foot 
long.  The  dress  of  both  was  the  same  as  those  we  saw  at 
the  college.  When  we  stopped  to  dine,  they  had  a  table  and 
a  fast  day  dinner  prepared  for  themselves.  Before  and  after 
eating  they  stood  behind  their  chairs,  and  making  the  sign  of 
the  cross  on  their  foreheads  and  breast  and  in  the  air,  they 
clasped  their  hands  and  muttered  a  prayer. 

At  Frankenmark,  where  we  stopped  to  change  horses,  we 
found  the  main  street  of  the  village  filled  with  people,  and 
on  inquiring  learned  there  was  to  be  a  confirmation  in  the 
church  ;  the  Archbishop  of  Salzburg  was  coming,  and  they 
were  going  out  to  meet  him.  Presently  bells  began  to  ring, 
cannon  were  fired,  the  procession,  consisting  of  men  and 
women,  with  the  school  children  two  and  two  bearing  reli- 
gious banners,  and  headed  by  a  number  of  priests  holding  a 
handsome  crimson  silk  canopy  over  the  head  of  the  Bishop 
of  Lintz,  passed  us  by,  and  in  a  few  minutes  returned  with 
the  Archbishop.  As  we  left  the  town  we  saw  a  very  pretty 
archway  which  had  been  erected  for  the  occasion,  made  of 
wood,  but  covered  with  the  green  leaves  of  the  fir  tree, 
mingled  with  bright  flowers  and  gay  ribbons,  wreaths  and 
festoons,  and  surmounted  by  three  gilt  crosses.  We  saw 
also  during  our  ride  the  same  day,  a  Catholic  funeral — the 
coffin  borne  by  men ;  at  the  sides  walked  the  priests  in  their 
rich  robes,  two  at  the  head  bearing  each  of  them  a  large 
cross  ;  behind  came  the  friends  of  the  departed,  all  ages  and 
sexes,  with  books  in  their  hands,  singing  prayers  and  chants 
— the  passengers  as  they  rode  past  all  lifting  their  hats  and 
inclining  their  heads.  We  did  not  reach  Salzburg  till  eleven 
in  the  evening.  The  next  morning  we  visited  its  beautiful 
cathedral,  built  in  the  Italian  style,  admirably  proportioned 
and  chastely  ornamented  in  the  interior.  The  altar  and 
shrines  were  elaborately  ornamented  with  pictures,  marble 


FOUNTAINS.  T9 


and  gilding.  The  stucco  ornaments  of  the  ceiling  were  very 
beautiful,  and  it  had  no  less  than  five  organs.  In  the  or- 
chestra of  one  was  a  band  of  music  assisting  in  the  service. 
It  being  Sunday,  and  during  service,  we  could  not  view  the 
interior  to  so  good  advantage  ;  but  had  a  fine  opportunity  of 
seeing  the  people.  The  women  of  the  peasantry  had  on  their 
singular  helmet-shaped  head  dress  of  gold  tissue  or  black 
lace,  the  shape  similar  to  that  of  the  shell  of  the  Nautilus. 
They  were  most  of  them  horribly  disfigured  with  the  goitre, 
as  is  the  case  in^all  these  mountainous  countries,  and  one 
thing  unaccountable  to  me,  is  that  more  of  the  women  seem 
to  have  these,  and  have  them  larger  than  the  men.  It  may 
be  that  the  men,  as  in  most  countries,  drink  less  v/ater,  and 
more  drink  of  a  stronger  kind  than  the  women,  as  it  is  said 
to  be  the  snow  water  that  causes  the  sv/elling  in  the  throat, 
and  the  peasantry  are  much  more  afHicted  th3.n  those  of  the 
better  classes. 

On  one  side  of  the  cathedral  is  a  beautiful  fountain,  said 
to  be  the  most  beautiful  of  any  in  Europe  north  of  the  Alps. 
There  are  four  colossal  figures,  each  representing  Atlas,  bear- 
ing on  their  shoulders  a  huge  shell,  on  which  are  carved  with 
much  truth  and  nature,  amphibious  and  aquatic  animals- 
turtles,  frogs,  eels  and  shell  fish.  On  the  four  sides  of  the 
grotto  are  arched  doorways,  or  openings,  out  of  which  come 
enormous  sea-horses  spouting  water  from  their  mouths  and 
nostrils,  and  each  of  the  four  in  a  different  attitude  or  posi- 
tion. A  few  paces  distant  is  a  fine  bronze  statue  of  Mozart, 
who  was  born  and  buried  at  Salzburg.  The  city  is,  howe- 
ever,  more  celebrated  for  its  external  than  internal  beauties. 
It  is  said  to  be  the  most  beautiful  spot  in  Germany,  and  many 
prefer  the  scenery  of  its  mountains,  lakes  and  valleys,  to  the 
finest  scenery  of  Switzerland.  It  is  the  "  Iraavia"  of  the 
Romans  situated  on  the  river  Salza  between  two  precipitous 
heights  ;  on  one  of  these  is  the  castle,  an  irregular  feudal  cita- 


80  CAPUCHIJSS. 


del,  commanding  the  town  and  surrounding  country,  built  in 
the  eleventh  century.  It  resembles  much  the  height  and 
castle  of  Edinburgh,  but  the  surrounding  scenery  is  super- 
ior to  the  highlands  of  Scotland.  From  the  convent  terrace, 
on  the  brow  of  the  Capu  Cineburgh,  we  had  one  of  the  most 
splendid  views  that  I  remember  ever  to  have  seen.  The 
ascent  is  fatiguing  and  difficult.  From  the  base  to  the  sum- 
mit are  placed  shrines  illustrating  incidents  in  the  life  of  the 
Savior.  At  the  top  of  the  pathway  is  a  calvary,  and  at  the 
entrance  of  the  convent  is  the  sepulchre,  with  our  Savior  in 
the  tomb,  and  on  another  compartment  the  vacant  tomb 
with  an  angel  seated  by  it,  the  three  Marys  at  the  door, 
while  the  guards  are  lying  around  near  the  entrance.  The 
view  from  the  convent  terrace  is  beautiful  in  the  extreme, 
according  to  Mr.  C's  description,  but  the  monk  would  not 
admit  the  "  vrow,"  (wife,)  and  so  I  had  to  wait  outside.  This 
convent  belongs  to  the  Capuchins,  whose  dress  is  of  brown 
stuff;  some  of  them  permit  their  beards  to  grow  a  foot,  and 
all  have  long  ones.  They  wear  a  knotted  cord  about  the 
waist,  with  their  rosary  and  beads  attached — the  sides  of  the 
head  are  shaven  so  as  to  have  only  a  rim  or  circle  of  hair 
around  the  head.  I  was  not  permitted  a  view  here,  so  we 
walked  to  the  summit  half  a  mile  further,  from  one  side 
of  which  you  look  upon  mountains  covered  with  snow  and 
glaciers ;  in  the  distance  the  castle  on  its  rocky  height,  and 
the  town  below  with  its  centre,  and  the  whole  enclosed  on 
this  side  by  one  chain  of  mountains  rising  above  the  other 
till  their  snow  clad  summits  are  lost  in  the  clouds.  From 
the  other  side  of  the  sunnwit  you  have  scarcely  a  vestige  of 
the  mountains  on  the  former  side,  but  look  down  upon  the 
valley  of  the  Salza,  tracing  its  course  for  miles  and  miles 
till  it  dwindles  into  a  silver  thread.  Such  a  transition  from 
mountain  to  valley,  from  snow-clad  heights  to  green  and 
verdant  pastures,  is  rarely  to  be  met  with,  and  this  was  but 


MARTYRS.  81 


a  foretaste  of  the  delightful  and  picturesque  scenery  of  the 
vales  and  mountains  of  "  the  Tyrol"  towards  which  we 
were  speeding.  Among  other  things  Salzburg  is  memor- 
able for  the  sufferings  of  its  people  in  the  cause  of  Protest- 
antism. They  were  persecuted  in  every  way,  but  still  clung 
to  their  faith.  At  last,  in  1727,  they  were  expatriated  to  the 
number  of  thirty  thousand,  and  found  a  refuge  in  Russia,  Po- 
land and  America,  while  to  crown  their  sufferings,  parents 
were  torn  from  their  children,  they  being  to  the  number  of 
one  thousand  taken  to  be  educated  in  the  Roman  Catholic 
faith.  We  left  this  charming  place  at  one  P.M.  and  were 
at  Munich  at  six  the  next  morning,  where  we  spent  three 
days  viewing  all  the  novelties  of  this  unique  city. 


82  MUNICH. 


LETTER  IX. 

MUNICH A    CITY    OF    FRESCO,    ITS    CHURCHES,     PALACES— 

GLYPTOTHEK  AND  PINACOTHEK ENGLISH  GARDEN TY- 
ROL, ITS  SCENERY  AND  PEASANTRY VALLEY  OF  THE  INN 

THE     HOUSES,    COSTUMES,    PRODUCTS THE     TYROLESE 

ALPS INSPRUCK HOFER PATRIOTISM  OF  TYROLESE, 

&c.,  &;c. 

Milan,  September. 

We  arrived  at  Munich  early  on  the  morning  of  Monday, 
September  18,  and  commenced  our  sight-seeing  in  company 
with  a  Russian  officer,  who  had  been  our  travelling  com- 
panion from  Salzburg,  and  whose  society  we  found  very 
pleasant  and  agreeable,  especially  as  he  spoke  English  per- 
fectly. I  had  heard  many  of  the  English  express  their  ad- 
miration of  Munich,  and  all  as  it  seemed  to  me  because 
it  was  new,  this  unique  city  having  been  renovated  during 
the  reign  of  the  present  King  Lewis  I,  of  Bavaria,  father  of 
Otho,  King  of  Greece.  I  thought  to  myself,  if  you  wish  to 
see  new  cities  built  in  a  day,  you  had  best  go  to  America, 
but  I  soon  found  that  it  was  not  the  newness  of  creation  but 
of  style,  that  so  charmed  them,  everything  was  so  entirely 
different  from  anything  their  previous  travel  had  offered. 
The  King  of  Bavaria  is  very  rich,  and  has  at  his  own  ex- 
pense built  many  fine  churches,  palaces  and  theatres,  as  well 
as  temples  for  paintings  and  sculpture.  Everything  here  is 
alfresco.  The  exterior  of  his  buildings,  generally,  is  ex- 
ceedingly plain,  in  the  Byzantine  style,  while  the  interior  is 
brilliant  and  gorgeous  beyond  description.  His  own  palace 
is  mostly  painted  in  imitation  of  the  buried  ones  at  Pompeii, 


THE    CATHEDRAL.  83 


and  contains  a  fine  collection  of  antiquities,  dug  fi-om  that 
city  and  Herculaneum,  under  his  inspection,  and  at  great  ex- 
pense ;  also  some  fine  antique  mosaic  pavements.  It  contains 
an  innumerable  seriesof  rooms,  the  walls  of  which  are  filled 
with  frescoes  or  variegated  marble,  the  ceilings  are  fresco 
and  gold,  the  floors,  pillars  and  staircases  of  rich  marble. 
Very  many  of  the  floors  are  a  mosaic  of  different  colored 
wood,  very  beautiful,  and  with  a  surface  so  polished  and 
slippery  that  3'ou  seem  to  be  walking  on  ice,  and  you  may 
think  yourself  fortunate  to  go  through  them,  and  keep  your- 
self perpendicular.  The  ground  hall  contains  a  series  of  statues 
of  gilt  bronze,  fourteen  in  number,  representing  princes  anjd 
electors  of  Bavaria,  each  in  the  costume  of  the  time  in  which 
he  lived.  They  are  each  ten  feet  high,  and  cost  five  thou- 
sand dollars  each,  and  the  same  for  gilding ;  they  were  de- 
signed by  Schwanthaler.  The  cathedral  built  of  brick  is 
four  hundred  years'  old,  has  two  tall  dome-capped  towers 
three  hundred  and  thirty-six  feet  high.  It  contains  a  very 
imposing  monument  to  the  Emperor  Lewis.  Four  Bavarian 
knights  are  kneeling  at  the  corners,  and  two  dukes  standing 
on  either  side,  all  in  bronze.  Over  the  tomb  is  suspended 
from  the  wall  the  hat  of  Cardinal  Cleselius,  who  began  the 
world  as  a  baker's  apprentice.  St.  Mi  chad's  or  the  Je- 
suits church,  built  in  the  Italian  style,  is  remarkable  for  its 
lofty  arched  roof,  unsupported  by  any  pillars.  It  contains 
Thorwaldsen's  monument  to  Eugene  Beauharnais,  Duke  of 
Leuchtenberg  ;  a  full  length  statue  of  the  Duke  attended  by 
a  muse  and  the  Genii  of  life  and  death.  The  church  of  St. 
Lewis  just  completed,  not  yet  consecrated,  has  two  towers, 
and  is  built  of  brick,  faced  with  white  marble.  The  pillars, 
altars  and  pavements  are  of  a  composition  in  imitation  of 
marble.  Behind  the  altar  is  a  fine  fresco  of  the  last  judg- 
ment, by  Cornelius,  one  of  the  best  things  about  the  church. 
The  windows,  though  of  superbly  painted  glass,  are   too 


84  PICTURES- 


small  for  the  size  of  the  edifice,  the  ceilings  are  too  gaudy, 
and  the  altars  and  stalls  comparatively  too  plain,  still  the 
effect  of  the  whole  is  extremely  rich  and  gorgeous.  The 
chapel  of  All  Saints  is  very  rich  and  beautiful.  The  sides 
and  ceiling  are  fresco  paintings  on  a  gold  ground,  the  pillars 
and  pavement  are  all  of  marble,  of  different  kinds  and  color. 
There  is  a  church  in  one  of  the  suburbs  beyond  the  river, 
exceedingly  beautiful.  The  ceiling  is  painted  blue  with 
gold  stars,  and  there  are  nineteen  gothic  windows,  painted  or 
stained  after  the  modern  improvement  of  this  ancient  art, 
which  has  been  brought  to  great  perfection  in  Munich. 
Each  window  represents  some  scene  in  the  life  of  the  virgin, 
and  the  church  is  named  after  and  dedicated  to  her.  The 
altars,  pulpits  and  stalls,  all  of  wood  in  its  natural  color,  beau- 
tifully carved  in  statues,  6lc.  This  pleased  me  more  than 
any  church  we  had  visited.  That  of  St.  Boniface,  now 
building,  will  exceed  all  the  others.  It  has  seventy-two 
columns  of  Tyrolean  marble,  each  twenty  feet  high.  There 
are  two  series  of  paintings  al  fresco,  the  first  representing 
scenes  and  events  in  the  lives  of  the  saints  and  martyrs  ; 
the  lower  devoted  to  the  history  of  the  holy  missionary,  St. 
Boniface.  These  are  by  Hess  and  his  pupils.  There  is 
also  a  small  chapel  in  the  old  palace  called  the  rich,  on  ac- 
count of  the  precious  metal  and  stones  expended  in  its  deco- 
ration, its  floor  being  of  jasper,  porphyry,  and  amethyst,  its 
walls  of  Florentine  mosaic,  and  the  altar  with  all  attached 
to  it,  as  well  as  the  pipes  of  the  organ,  being  of  solid  silver. 
It  has  also  a  small  portable  altar,  said  to  have  belonged  to 
Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  and  which  she  carried  with  her  to 
the  block,  and  after  serving  in  her  last  devotions,  was  given 
by  her  to  one  of  her  attendants.  So  much  for  the  churches. 
The  Glyptothek  or  gallery  of  sculpture,  is  a  beautiful  build- 
ing inside  and  out.  The  portico  is  ornamented  with  twenty- 
four  statues,  and  the  distribution  of  the  interior  is  such  that 


THE    PIXACOTHEK.  85 


a  separate  apartment  is  allotted  to  the  works  of  each  distinct 
epoch  of  the  art.  The  ceilings  are  decorated  with  stucco, 
gilding  and  fresco,  the  walls  are  scagliola,  the  floors  of  mar- 
ble, and  the  stair-cases  of  polished  granite.  The  ground 
floor  is  filled  with  Egyptian  and  Etruscan  antiquities,  with  a 
great  many  from  Pompeii  and  Herculaneum,  and  these  are 
arranged  on  shelves  with  mirrors  behind  them,  so  that  you 
are  enabled  to  see  them  on  every  side.  The  hall  of  modern 
sculpture  contains  some  exquisite  works  by  Canova,  Scha- 
dow  andThorwaldsen.  The  Pinacothek  or  picture  gallery, 
the  most  magnificent  edifice  for  that  purpose  in  Europe,  is 
also  a  splendid  building,  much  larger  than  the  other,  and 
contains  some  1500  paintings  of  all  the  different  schools — 
among  them  are  some  fineMurillos — we  have  scarcely  seen 
them  in  any  collection  so  good.  The  corridor  is  beautifully 
painted  in  arabesque  fresco,  each  compartment  painted  to 
illustrate  some  incident  in  the  life  of  different  eminent  paint- 
ers of  every  country.  The  collection  of  the  Duke  cf  Leu- 
chtenberg  is  here,  and  though  not  large,  contains  some  very 
beautiful  pictures,  and  two  or  three  exquisite  statues.  Paint- 
ing both  on  glass  and  porcelain  is  wrought  here  in  the  great- 
est perfection.  We  visited  the  manufactories  and  were 
shown  most  exquisite  specimens.  The  windows  of  many  of 
the  shops,  too,  make  a  great  display  of  these,  which,  with 
the  beautiful  cut  glass,  colored  every  hue  of  the  rainbow, 
make  a  gay  and  glittering  show.  There  is  one  fine  open 
square  enclosed  by  these  beautiful  shops,  similar  to  the  Pa- 
lais Royal  at  Paris,  with  a  covered  walk  or  open  corridor, 
the  sides  of  it  decorated  with  fresco  paintings,  depicting  his- 
torical incidents,  battle  scenes,  &c.  One  afternoon  we 
drove  a  little  out  of  town  to  see  a  plaster  model  of  a  colos- 
sal statue  emblematic  of  Bavaria,  which  is  to  be  of  bronze, 
and  erected  in  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  squares  of  the 
city.      It  has  an  immense  building  to  protect  it  like  ships 


86  ATTRACTIONS    OP   MUNICH. 

in  a  navy  yard.  Bavaria  is  represented  by  a  female  figure, 
beautifully  shaped,  one  hand  resting  on  a  huge  lion,  the 
other  raised  upward,  holds  a  scroll  with  some  inscription, 
but  really  this  last  was  so  high  above  us,  that  it  was  difficult 
to  divine  what.  I  can  only  give  you  an  idea  of  the  magni- 
tude of  the  figure,  by  the  amusing  illustration,  that  Mr.  C. 
could  barely  span  the  large  toe  of  the  lady's  large  foot  with 
the  thumb  and  the  finger  of  his  two  hands.  Methinks  this 
would  almost  rival  the  Colossus  of  Rhodes,  the  metal  of 
■which,  it  is  said,  when  sold  to  a  Jew,  was  sufficient  to  load 
nine  hundred  camels.  On  our  return,  we  drove  through 
the  English  garden,  so  called  from  its  extent,  and  the  man- 
ner in  which  it  is  laid  out,  having  more  similitude  to  an 
English  park,  than  most  things  of  the  continent  called  Eng- 
lish. The  grounds  were  given  by  Count  Rumford,  and  cer- 
tainly he  could  not  have  left  the  city  a  richer  legacy,  or 
himself  a  more  substantial  memorial.  There  is  a  pretty 
little  temple  in  the  park,  situated  on  an  artificial  hill,  the 
height  of  which  would  command  a  fine  view  if  there  were 
any  such  here,  but  thougli  Munich  is  one  of  the  most  elevated 
situations  of  any  of  the  cities  of  Europe,  it  is  on  a  flat,  ste- 
rile, dusty  plain  ;  there  is  no  business  in  the  town,  conse- 
quently no  life  in  the  streets.  The  king  has  made  it  a  sort 
of  repository  of  the  arts,  thereby  drawing  artists  and  ama- 
teurs from  all  parts  of  the  world.  Aside  from  this,  Munich 
has  no  attractions,  and  though  one  cannot  but  admire  and 
be  pleased,  both  mind  and  eye  seem  at  last  to  be  weary  with 
the  brilliant  and  gorgeous  sameness.  One  tires  of  the  ever- 
lasting red  and  blue  frescoes,  and  would  think  them  more  beau- 
tiful were  there  not  so  many.  Leaving  Munich,  we  turned 
our  faces  towards  the  Tyrol.  The  scenery  was  grand,  high 
mountains  robed  in  snow,  with  lesser  ones  covered  with  fir- 
trees,  and  many  of  them  crowned  with  picturesque  churches, 
or  ruined  castles,  were  around  us  all  the  way,  and  amid 


THE    TYROL    HARVEST.  87 

them,  dark  and  deep  passes,  where  the  Tyrolese  had  fought 
for  their  liberty  and  to  repel  the  invader.  All  the  morning 
till  we  reached  Inspruck,  we  were  in  the  valley  of  the  Inn, 
and  very  lovely  it  is.  Their  summers  here  are  very  short ; 
the  snow  falls  low  down  on  the  mountains  in  September,  and 
does  not  leave  them  till  June.  It  is  harvest  now,  and 
everything  seems  to  be  ripe  at  once.  The  people  of  the 
Tyrol  are  very  hardy  and  industrious,  as  the  shortness  of 
their  summers  makes  necessary ;  at  this  time,  men,  women* 
and  children  find  constant  employment  in  the  fields.  Some 
are  threshing  grain,  some  beating  and  drying  flax,  others 
making  hay,  mowing,  raking,  and  carting  it,  and  gathering 
corn  and  potatoes,  while  the  bean  vines  were  loaded  as  well 
as  the  apple,  pear  and  plum,  in  such  profusion,  as  to  require 
props  to  support  the  heavily  laden  branches,  all  seeming  to 
bide  their  time.  Every  green  thing  that  grows,  seems  to  be 
carefully  gathered,  and  stored  for  themselves  and  their  cattle 
during  the  long  winter.  It  was  probably  owing  to  their  con- 
stant occupation  in  the  fields  during  the  summer,  that  neither 
the  dwellings  or  the  house-wives  looked  tidy,  and  the  buildings 
themselves,  though  picturesque  and  a  la  Suisse,  were  rough 
and  rude  in  outward  appearance.  The  houses  here  are  as 
large  as  factories,  and  seem  intended  not  only  for  the  family 
but  for  all  the  cattle  in  the  winter,  as  well  as  the  stores  of 
provender  for  each.  They  have  long  sloping  roofs,  to  let 
slide  the  snow  in  winter,  the  eaves  projecting  all  g,round, 
forming  a  shade  from  the  sun's  warm  rays  in  summer,  the 
edges  ornamented  by  a  rude,  yet  pretty  carving.  Women 
and  men  both  wear  steeple-crowned  hats,  with  a  flower  or 
tassel  at  the  side.  The  men  wear  short  breeches  with  stock- 
ings, and  a  short  jacket  with  a  coatee,  or  pigeon-tail  behind. 
The  women  wear  a  kind  of  stays  laced  outside  the  dress, 
each  part  of  the  dress  of  a  different  color.  The  cows  and 
goats  are  driven  by  herdsmen  up  the  mountains  higher  and 


88  THE    TYROL. 


more  high,  as  the  season  advances  in  the  spring,  and  after 
eating  their  way  up  the  mountain  tops,  commence  eating 
their  way  down  again  as  the  winter  approaches.  We  met 
as  they  were  being  driven  to  water,  or  to  be  milked,  some 
thirty  cows,  and  as  many  as  fifty  goats  in  a  herd,  each  with  a 
bell  that  tinkled  musically  and  merrily  as  they  passed  us  by, 
and  I  can  assure  you,  chimed  in  admirably  with  the  roman- 
tic and  picturesque  scenery  about  us.  In  one  place  we  saw 
a  boy  standing  on  the  slope  of  a  green  hill,  with  his  rustic 
horn  of  the  mountains,  a  sort  of  trumpet,  made  of  wood  or 
reeds,  and  as  he  sent  forth  his  "  wood-notes  wild,"  we  could 
hear  the  sound  of  the  bells  of  the  herd  more  and  more 
distinctly  as  they  drew  near  in  obedience  to  the  call. 

Leaving  Inspruck,  our  course  still  followed  the  Inn  through 
the  delightful  pass  of  Insterspitzen,  and  over  the  Arlberg  or 
Eagle's  Mount.  The  river  rushes  rapidly  by,  making  a  noise 
like  a  cascade  all  through  its  course — many  a  wild  pass  was 
pointed  out  to  us,  signalized  by  the  brave  defence  of  the 
liberty-loving  Tyrolese,  and  many  a  ruined  castle  on  some 
high  point,  commanding  the  pass  and  the  river.  Early  in 
the  afternoon,  we  passed  a  point  on  which  is  placed 
the  picturesque  castle  of  Wissberg,  at  the  junction  of  the 
Rosanna  and  Trisanna  with  the  Inn,  commanding  the  river 
and  the  side  valley,  through  which  we  enter  the  romantic 
pass  of  the  Ober  Inthall.  Qpr  course  now  followed  the  Ro- 
sanna, a  rushing  rapid  torrent,  fed  by  innumerable  mountain 
rivulets  and  cascades.  Here  and  there  a  rise  in  the  bed  of 
the  river,  divided  it  into  two,  and  even  three  separate  streams 
— then  overcoming  all  lesser  obstacles,  it  rushed  on  its 
course  like  a  high  mettled  charger,  that  would  no  longer  be 
stayed  in  its  onward  way.  The  country  here  bears  quite  a 
resemblance  to  our  own,  that  is,  in  the  products.  Exten- 
sive orchards  of  the  apple  and  pear  trees,  with  corn-fields, 
and  bright  yellow  pumpkins  covering  the  ground,  looked 


FELDKIHCH,  89 


like  Yankee  land,  and  the  road  was  bordered  on  either  side 
with  large  luxuriant  bushes  of  the  barberry,  the  branches 
weighed  to  the  ground  with  their  clusters  of  scarlet  berries. 
Then,  too,  at  dinner  to-day  we  had  cider,  but  being  the  pro= 
duct  of  the  last  autumn,  I  must  confess  it  was  somewhat 
hard  and  sour.  We  had  quite  a  merry  postillion,  who,  in 
his  gay  and  fanciful  uniform,  seemed  truly  a  character  ;  how 
he  made  the  woods  and  mountains  re-echo  with  the  sharp 
crack  of  his  long  lash,  and  the  wild  alpine  notes  he  managed 
to  draw  from  his  post-horn.  Every  part  of  the  valley  w^as  cul» 
tivated,  and  even  the  sides  of  the  hills  and  mountains  as  far 
as  practicable.  The  women  of  this  part  of  the  Tyrol,  wear 
a  head  dress  of  black  fur,  some  conical,  others  large  in  cir- 
cumference, and  flat  like  a  cheese.  We  reached  Feldkirch 
at  a  late  hour,  and  were  obliged  to  resume  our  journey  at  a 
very  early  hour  in  the  morning.  As  soon  as  it  was  light 
enough  to  see  distinctly,  w^e  found  the  mountains  not  so  high, 
and  becoming  gradually  more  distant.  A  number  of  the 
heights  were  surmounted  by  old  castles,  under  which  were 
planted  pretty  villages,  that  here  began  to  assume  a  more 
smiling  and  cheerful  aspect.  The  houses,  too,  w^ere  built, 
and  ornamented  with  muc;h  taste.  There  were  the  same 
long  sloping  roofs,  with  the  eaves  ornamented  with  cover- 
ing, but  more  taste  was  displayed,  and  both  within  and 
without,  showed  the  handiwork  of  woman.  The  houses 
have  all  of  them  either  a  portico  over  each  window  or 
a  balcony  beneath,  the  sides  being  covered  with  shin- 
gles, cut  in  scollops  about  the  size  of  a  dollar,  and  the 
panes  of  the  windovv^s  all  in  a  circular  form  not  much 
larger.  Within,  the  dwellings  looked  more  tidy  and  com- 
fortable, while  around  them  was  a  large  space  devoted  to  and 
filled  with  flowers,  dahlias,  in  the  richest  and  greatest  pro- 
fusion, and  even  roses  at  this  late  season,  while  upon  the 
sides  of  the  house  or  on  arbors,  were  trained  grape  vines. 


90  CONSTANCE. 


loaded  with  their  rich  clusters,  and  along  the  way-side  vine- 
yards of  the  same,  were  growing  luxuriantly.  The  women 
in  this  part  of  the  Tyrol,  do  more  in-door  work  ;  their  time  is 
mostly  occupied  in  embroidering  muslin  and  spinning. 
There  is  also  considerable  manufacturing.  The  head-dress 
here  is  still  more  singular  than  those  we  had  seen  beyond 
the  Arlberg.  It  is  composed  of  a  thin  transparent  black  ma- 
terial, fastened  over  a  frame,  in  form  like  a  fan,  but  instead 
of  projecting  over  the  face,  is  placed  on  the  crown  of  the  head, 
and  extended  backwards.  The  rim  of  some  of  them  have  a 
circumference  of  near  three  feet,  bound  with  a  band  of  black 
velvet,  fitted  to  the  crown  of  the  head ;  behind  is  a  silver 
headpiece,  quite  ornamental,  and  in  which  they  seem  to 
take  great  pride.  We  reached  Briguenz  on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  lake  of  Constance,  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morning,  and 
left  at  noon  in  a  steamer  for  the  other  extremity  of  the  lake, 
and  the  beautifully  situated  and  lovely  town  of  Constance. 
We  had  a  delightful  sail  of  some  six  hours  across  this 
charming  sheet  of  water,  with  the  Austrian  Alps  on  one 
side,  and  those  of  Switzerland  on  the  other.  The  hill  sides 
were  rich  in  vegetation  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  while 
pretty  towns  and  villages  were  thickly  planted  on  both 
sides  of  the  margin.  On  the  north,  stands  a  magnificent 
palace  of  the  King  of  Wirtemberg,  formerly  a  Benedictine 
Convent.  At  Constance,  the  object  that  most  interested  me 
was  the  old  Council  Hall,  where  John  Huss  and  Jerome  of 
Prague  were  condemned  and  burnt.  It  is  celebrated,  too,  for 
the  many  councils  held,  and  treaties  signed,  so  vital  to  civil 
and  religous  liberty.  Leaving  Constance,  our  road  lay  for 
some  distance  along  the  shores  of  the  lake,  and  by  the  "  ar- 
rowy Rhine."  The  scenery  seemed  tame  and  fiat,  in  com- 
parison with  that  we  had  just  left  in  the  Tyrol,  but  it  was 
still  beautiful,  added  to  which  the  weather  was  most  propi- 
tious ;  there  was  the  same  hazy  atmosphere  that  accompa^ 


LUCERNE.  91 


nies  our  mild  fall  weather,  giving  to  the  landscape  that  deli- 
cious softness  that  is  so  beautifully  depicted  in  the  pictures 
of  Claude  Lorraine.  The  costumes  of  the  people  differed 
little  from  what  we  had  elsewhere  seen,  and  though  in  Swit- 
zerland, the  houses  had  gradually  left  the  Swiss-like  appear- 
ance of  those  of  the  Tyrol.  Here  most  of  them  were  of 
stucco,  painted  white.  Beams  of  wood  running  in  every 
direction,  so  as  to  form  diamonds,  squares  and  other  forms, 
were  left  unplastered,  but  painted  red,  blue,  yellow,  or  green, 
clothing  them  in  a  harlequin  dress,  and  presenting  a  fanci- 
ful appearance.  After  visiting  the  lakes  and  towns  of  Zurich, 
Lucerne  and  Zug,  we  landed  at  Fluellen.  Between  Zurich 
and  Zug,  we  had  in  the  carriage  with  us  three  young  Swiss 
farmers,  just  returning  from  disposing  of  their  stock  or  pro- 
duce, with  well  filled  leather  money  belts,  fastened  around 
their  bodies.  They  seemed  very  joyous  and  happy,  and  en- 
tertained themselves  and  us,  with  a  number  of  the  melodious 
airs,  peculiar  to  the  Swiss,  giving  the  quick  and  varied  gut- 
tural intonation  in  which  they  so  excel.  Lucerne,  with  its 
antique  and  ruined  towers  and  walls,  its  high  mountains  and 
lovely  lake,  is  very  picturesque.  From  one  of  its  bridges, 
you  have  a  magnificent  view  of  the  exceeding  high  moun- 
tains of  this  beautiful  region,  the  recent  fall  of  snow  had 
brightened  their  beauty,  and  gilded  by  the  rays  of  the  set- 
ting sun,  as  they  were  when  we  looked  our  last  upon  them, 
were  gorgeous  and  grand.  We  went  to  see  a  bas-relief 
of  the  mountains  of  this  part  of  Switzerland  made  by  Gen- 
eral Phyffr,  giving  a  correct  idea  of  their  comparative 
heights,  and  respective  localities,  and  their  irregularities,  as 
you  look  upon  a  surface  of  mountain  tops.  From  this  we 
walked  a  short  distance  to  see  a  monument  erected  here  to 
the  brave  Swiss  Guards,  killed  at  the  Tuilleries,  August 
10th,  1792,  in  defence  of  Louis  XVI.  It  is  a  beautiful  thing. 
There  is  a  high  natural  rock,  and  in  its  face,  after  a  design 


92  VALLEY    OF    THE    INN. 

of  Thorwaldsen,  cut  by  Lewis  Ahorn,  is  a  dying  lion.  He 
has  been  pierced  in  the  side  by  a  spear,  the  broken  part 
of  which  is  just  visible  above  the  wound,  from  which  the 
blood  is  flowing,  and  the  expression  of  grief  portrayed 
in  the  face,  and  the  lifelessness  of  the  paw  that  falls  over 
the  rock,  is  as  indescribable  as  it  is  beautiful.  The  coat  of 
arms  of  Switzerland  is  under  his  head  and  one  paw,  while 
that  of  France  reclines  near  by.  And  now  farewell  to  these 
beautiful  lakes  of  Switzerland.  I  sigh  to  leave  them,  for 
methinks  each  place  exceeds  in  beauty  the  last,  which  I 
thought  unsurpassable. 

We  left  Munich  on  the  afternoon  of  the  20th  of  Septem- 
ber, and  the  next  morning  entered  the  valley  of  the  Inn  (in 
the  Tyrol)  and  the  road  over  the  Tyrolese  Alps.  This  pas- 
sage is  of  great  antiquity,  having  first  been  constructed  by 
the  Romans.  The  pass  was  formerly  commanded  by  a  fort, 
Scorbia,  also  Roman,  and  was  kept  in  a  state  of  defence  till 
in  the  year  1806.  Marshal  Ney,  after  two  repulses,  suc- 
ceeded in  taking  it,  and  then  spent  twelve  thousand  florins 
in  blowi  ng  it  up,  so  that  nought  but  ruins  now  remains.  At 
Inspruck  we  saw  in  a  church  the  statue  and  grave  of  Hofer, 
and  another  to  the  brave  Tyrolese  who  fell  in  the  war  with 
the  French  in  the  defence  of  their  father-land.  Five  times 
in  the  course  of  one  year  did  they  clear  their  country  of  the 
invaders.  The  mountainous  character  of  the  country  ren- 
ders Tyrol  a  natural  rock  fortress,  the  main  chain  of  the  Alps, 
the  granite  backbone  or  frame  work  of  Europe,  as  it  is 
called,  running  entirely  through  it ;  and  as  the  men  are  ex- 
pert riflemen,  amid  their  mountain  passes,  they  needed  little 
tactics  or  drilling  to  make  them  bad  enemies  to  encounter. 
In  fact  their  well  known  patriotism  has  exempted  them  from 
service  during  peace.  The  Tyrolese  are  remarkable  for  their 
strong  religious  feeling.  Among  other  insigna  of  their  re- 
ligion, as  you  pass  along,  you  will  often  see  a  cross  by  the 


THE    ARLBERG. 


way-side  marking  the  spot  where  some  fellow-being  has  lost 
his  life,  and  on  a  board  or  cross  is  a  record  of  his  fate,  and 
an  entreaty  to  the  passer  by  to  say  a  "  Pater  Noster"  for 
the  good  of  his  soul.  From  the  nature  of  the  country  and 
the  shortness  of  the  summer,  they  are  obliged  to  labor  very 
hard,  and  be  very  economical  of  their  time  as  well  as  the 
produce  of  their  labor.  They  are  noted  for  their  laborious 
and  industrious  habits,  the  upright  honesty  and  integrity  of 
their  character,  but  above  all  for  love  of  their  country  and 
their  God.  Noble  characteristics,  are  they  not  ?  But  how 
can  it  be  otherwise  amid  this  grand,  wild  and  awfully  im- 
posing scenery  ?  No  where  can  man  be  more  impressed 
with  his  dependence  upon  the  Ruler  of  the  elements.  The 
pine  riven  by  the  lightning — the  cottage  burnt  by  it — the 
the  winter's  avalanche  remaining  through  the  heats  of  sum- 
mer unmelted  in  the  depths  of  the  valley--.the  line  of 
desolation  it  has  caused  in  its  course  marked  by  the  pros- 
trate forest — the  hamlets  swept  away  by  the  mountain 
torrent  or  buried  by  the  land  slips  which  sometimes  fill  up 
valleys  or  even  lakes,  are  things  of  frequent  occurrence,  and 
which  we  have  seen  in  our  course,  and  even  passing  casu- 
ally through  this  magnificent  country,  one  cannot  but  feel 
his  thoughts  carried  from  Nature  up  to  Nature's  God. 

In  passing  over  the  Arlberg  (Eagle's  Mount)  the  tops  of 
the  mountains  near  us  were  covered  with  snow  ;  in  some  of 
the  clefts  it  seemed  to  be  fifty  feet  deep,  and  on  the  Arlberg 
it  lies  from  September  till  June,  though  fortunately  for  us  it 
had  none  now.  It  takes  two  and  a  half  hours  to  ascend,  and 
at  the  summit  we  are  six  thousand  two  hundred  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea.  At  the  top  of  the  mountain  is  a  Hos- 
pice inhabited  by  a  brother  of  the  order  of  St.  Christopher, 
"  Its  original  founder  was  a  poor  foundling  who  served  in 
the  family  of  a  farmer  as  coAvherd,  and  on  Sundays  followed 
the  farmer  to  church,  bearing  his  sword.    The  sight  of  many 


94  TRAVELLING  APPRENTICES. 

dead  persons  who  had  perished  in  the  snows  of  the  Arlberg, 
whose  eyes  and  bodies  the  birds  had  eaten,  affected  the  boy 
so  deeply  that  he  began  with  the  help  of  God  and  St.  Chris- 
topher (as  he  himself  recorded)  and  with  no  other  pecuniary 
means  than  about  eight  dollars,  the  earnings  of  ten  years' 
service,  to  devote  himself  exclusively  to  the  preservation  of 
wayfarers,  and  saved  the  first  winter,  seven  men's  lives. 
Henry  Findelkind  from  this  time  devoted  himself  to  this 
charitable  object,  and  before  his  death  had  saved  no  less  than 
fifty  lives,  traversing  Europe  to  obtain  alms  to  carry  on  this 
good  work,  and  enrolled  among  the  brotherhood  of  St. 
Christopher  the  names  of  many  princes  and  nobles,  who  I 
believe,  still  continue  it." 

The  Austrian  Government  does  more  for  the  education  of 
her  subjects,  and  the  establishment  of  schools  than  any  other 
government  in  Europe  except  Prussia,  and  for  the  last  cen- 
tury has  been  ceaselessly  employed  in  establishing  schools 
throughout  its  extensive  dominions  ;  and  the  number  of  per- 
sons who  understand  the  common  branches  of  education  is 
beyond  comparision  greater  than  in  France  or  England.  No 
person  can  marry,  or  set  up  a  trade,  without  producing  a  cer- 
tificate of  having  attended  school  a  certain  number  of  years, 
and  even  after  they  have  learned  a  trade,  they  are  required 
before  they  establish  themselves,  to  travel  three  years  to  gain 
experience  in  the  world,  as  well  asthe  ways  and  inventions 
appertaining  to  their  different  trades.  All  through  the  coun- 
trywe  have  met  these  travelling  apprentices,  with  a  pack  on 
their  backs,  footing  it  along,  sometimes  coming  up  to  the  car- 
riage, holding  their  caps  for  a  gratuity,  though  they  never 
beg — if  not  given  readily  they  depart. 


MOUNT   RIGHIc  95 


LETTER  X. 

ASCENT  OF  MOUNT-KIGHI— TELL's  CHAPEL— LAGO  MAG- 
GIORE---CATHOLIC  FUNERAL — -FRUITS— THE  PASS  OF  THE 
SIMPLON, 

Switzerland,  September. 
My  Dear  M— : 

I  have  given  you  an  account  of  our  journeyings  to  the 
lovely  lake  of  Zurich,  along  the  banks  of  the  Zug  Lake,  to 
where  \Ye  last  took  horses  to  ascend  Mount  Righi,  "  the  ob~ 
servatory,"  as  it  is  called,  of  Switzerland.  The  ascent  is 
made,  most  of  the  way,  by  stairs  formed  by  placing  logs  up 
the  side  of  the  mountain ;  and  "  such  a  gittin'  up  stairs,"  on 
horseback,  I  never  before  attempted.  Where  it  was  too 
steep,  or  too  stony  to  fix  the  logs,  our  poor  beasts  had  to 
scramble  up  the  face  of  the  rocks  as  they  best  could  ;  and  as 
I  sat  on  the  back  of  one,  as  he  v»^as  thus  clinging,  as  it  were, 
to  the  face  of  the  mountain,  it  really  seemed  as  if  he  must 
fall  backwards.  I  could  not  see  myself,  nor  dared  I  turn  to 
look  at  those  behind,  but  fancied  there  was  a  resemblance 
to  the  pictures  that  represent  Bonaparte  in  his  passage  up 
the  Alps  ;  and  though  the  horses  were  as  used  to  it  as  mill 
horses  to  their  daily  round,  they  were  almost  drowned  in 
their  own  perspiration,  and  shook  and  trembled  as  if  in  an 
ague,  either  from  fear  or  fatigue — perhaps  both. 

Near  the  foot  of  the  mountain  we  passed  the  buried  town 
of  Goldau,  which  in  1806  was  destroyed  by  a  land-slide 
from  the  top  of  a  summit  named  Gniepen,  which  formed  part 
of  Mount  Righi.  Four  hundred  and  fifty-seven  persons  were 


96  CANTON    OF    ZUG. 


killed  by  it,  and  the  whole  valley  was  covered  with  earth  and 
blocks  of  stone  to  the  depth  of  some  hundred  feet,  besides 
filling  up  a  part  of  the  Lake  Laverne.  The  grass  has  now 
grown  over  the  ruins,  and  a  road  passes  through  the  valley 
to  Schwiz ;  where  Goldau  was,  they  have  built  a  chapel,  a 
parsonage,  and  an  inn.  The  view,  as  you  ascend,  is  finely 
varied ;  at  different  turns  you  see  the  beautiful,  the  pictu- 
resque, and  the  sublime.  Mount  Righi  stands  almost  apart 
and  sepa.rated  on  all  sides  from  the  peaks  that  surround  it. 
It  is  washed  at  its  base  by  three  lakes — the  Zug,  Laverne, 
and  Lucerne  :  the  two  first  you  view  alternately  as  you  fol- 
low the  windings  of  the  zig-zag  path  from  Art  or  rather 
Goldau.  Near  the  summit  is  a  bit  of  table-land  on  the  edge 
of  a  precipice,  from  whence  you  look  down,  and  immedi- 
ately under  you,  at  an  immense  depth  below,  lies  the  lake 
of  Lucerne  ;  and  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  on  the  banks 
of  the  lake,  in  a  little  bay,  is  the  berg  of  Kussnacht.  There 
are  two  or  three  inns  at  different  stations  as  you  ascend,  a 
convent  occupied  by  some  monks  of  the  Capuchins,  and  a 
convent  of  "  Notre  Dame  de  Niege,^^  (Our  Lady  of  the 
Snow.)  When  we  had  accomplished  two -thirds  of  the  as- 
cent it  commenced  raining,  and  ere  we  reached  the  top  w^e 
were  enveloped  in  a  thick  mist,  in  which  there  was  really 
danger  of  losing  our  way,  or  each  other.  At  the  summit, 
near  seven  thousand  feet  above  the  level  ofthe  sea,  is  a  good 
hotel,  and  this  we  reached  at  a  late  hour — cold,  wet,  and 
hungry. 

In  the  morning  we  were  awakened  by  the  rain  and  sleet 
pattering  against  the  panes,  and  on  looking  out,  found  the 
ground  covered  with  snow.  On  descending  to  the  salle-a- 
manger,  we  found  every  one  preparing  for  his  departure,  in 
spite  of  wind  and  weather,  from  a  dread  of  the  threatened 
embargo.  I  am  sorry  to  disappoint  you  by  depriving  you  of 
mv  observations  from  the  "  observatory"  of  Switzerland,  but 


LAKE    LUCERNE.  97 


were  influenced  by  the  motions  of  the  rest,  and  by  eight 

o'clock  we  were  winding  our  way  down  again  :  P with 

his  long  mountain  pole,  with  a  sharp  pike  in  one  end,  to 
help  him  in  the  steep  descents,  and  I  seated  in  a  sedan- 
chair,  well  wrapped  up,  with  two  hardy  mountaineers  as 
bearers — -horses  not  being  deemed  safe  in  descending.  We 
descended  by  a  path  leading  to  Kussnacht,  near  which  place 
is  Tell's  Chapel,  erected  on  the  spot  where  Tell  killed  Ges- 
ler  ;  a  road  winds  past  it,  and  it  was  by  this  road  he  was 
passing  when  he  fell :  and  on  a  grassy  bank  by  the  road- 
side, is  a  clump  of  trees  in  which  Tell  was  concealed  when 
he  sent  the  fatal  shaft.  It  is  a  pretty  little  chapel,  in  a  pic- 
turesque situation,  and,  with  all  its  associations  of  tale  and 
history,  calculated  to  please  the  most  fastidiously  romantic . 
I  remained  in  the  porch  of  the  chapel,  gazing  upon  the  paint- 
ing above  the  door,  illustrative  of  the  incidents  the  chapel 
was  built  to  commemorate,  until  my  bearers  were  rested. 
We  then  resumed  our  way  along  a  level  road,  and  in  a  short 
time  my  good  conductors  set  me  down  within  the  door  of 
the  inn  at  Kussnacht.  where,  after  taking  a  schnap  and  re-, 
ceiving  their  pay,  they  wished  us  bon  voyage  and  left  us. 

On  the  morning  we  left  Lucerne,  we  cast  many  a  linger- 
ing look  behind  ;  but  soon  found  new  and  beautiful  ob- 
jects for  all  our  glances,  in  the  grand  and  imposing  scenery 
of  this  lovely  lake.  The  morning  was  chilly,  owing  to  the 
rain  that  had  lately  fallen,  and  which  had  covered  the 
mountain  tops  in  the  vicinity  with  snow  ;  and  owing  to  its 
being  a  little  cloudy,  this  last,  with  the  height  and  grandeur 
of  the  mountains  on  every  side,  gave  to  the  lake  an  air  of 
stillness  and  solemnity  very  imposing.  We  were  shown,  in 
passing,  the  spot  where  Tell  leaped  from  the  boat  in  which 
he  was  a  prisoner,  and  thus  escaped  his  captors.  On  this 
spot,  too,  a  chapel  is  built,  though  not  so  pretty  a  one  as  that 
at  the  foot  of  Righi,    Near  this,  at  Grutz,  is  the  place  where 

5 


ye  TELLS    COUNTRY DEVIL'S    BRIDGE. 

the  three  confederates,  Walther,  Uri,  and  Werner,  held  their 
meetings  and  took  their  oaths. 

The  scenery  of  this  lake  is  very  varied,  and  exceeds,  I 
think,  all  the  others  that  I  have  seen,  and  which  I  thought 
impossible  to  be  surpassed :  it  is  like  a  moving  panorama  of 
the  beautiful,  the   lovely,  the  picturesque,  and  the  magnifi- 
cently grand  and  imposing.     We  landed  at  Fuellan,  and  at 
Altorf  took  coach  for  the  ascent  of  Mount  St.  Gothard,  which 
commences  soon  after  leaving  the  village  of  Altorf,     Both 
these  last  places  are  interesting  from  their  association  with 
many  incidents  in  the  life  of  William  Tell.    It  was  at  Altorf 
that  the  scene  took  place  of  his  shooting  the  apple  from  the 
head  of  his  child,  and   they  have  in  the  public  squares  one 
or  two  statues  and  paintings  illustrative  of  the  event  ;  indeed, 
the  whole  country  through  which  we  have  lately  passed  is 
called  "  Tell's  Country."    The  commencement  of  this  won- 
derful mountain-road  is  comparatively  easy.     We  followed 
the  course  of  the  Ruisse,  all  the  way  up  the  mountain,  first 
on  one  side,  then  on  the  other,  crossing  it  by  five  bridges ; 
and  I  think  we  did  not  lose  sight  or  sound  of  it  all  the  way 
to  the  summit,  where  it   has  its  course  with  the  Rhine,  the 
Rhone,  and  the  Tercino.  The  Ruisse,  like  all  rivers  fed  by 
the  snows  of  the  mountains,  is  a  rushing  torrent,  forming  a 
number  of  whirling  rapids  and    cascades  ;  over  one  of  the 
largest  of  these  is  the  Devil's  Bridge,  around  which  the  sce- 
nery is  grand  and  horrific.  There  are  still  seen  the  remains 
of  the  old  bridge,  blown  up  by  the  French,  in  1799,  causing 
such  havoc  of  human  life.     Notwithstanding  its  dilapidated 
condition,  Suwarrow  contrived  to  pass  over  it  shortly  after, 
by  means  of  beams  of  wood  fastened  together  with  the  offi- 
cers' scarfs,  though  at  the  cost  of  many  lives.    The  bridge 
seems  to  connect  the  stupendous  mountains  rising  abruptly 
from  a  gorge,  through  which  thunders  a  roaring,  rushing  and 
rapid  waterfall,  forming  a  scene  of  wild  and  savage  gran- 


THE    ST.    GOTHARD.  99 

deur.  The  ascent  here  is  very  steep,  made  by  galleries  in 
the  face  of  the  mountain.  As  we  neared  the  summit  we 
found  the  road,  as  well  as  all  around  us,  covered  with  snow, 
and  pretty  flowers  peeping  through.  There  are  villages 
scattered  along  this  mountain  pass,  churches,  and  solitary 
houses ;  yet  there  is  not  a  tree,  and  scarce  a  shrub,  any 
where  to  be  seen  :  and  though  on  the  summit  there  is  a 
village,  and  even  a  good  inn,  it  is  impossible  to  imagine 
where  they  procure  fuel  enough  to  warm  them  through  the 
bitter  cold  of  the  long,  dreary  winters  they  must  experience 
here. 

At  the  summit,  we  are  nine  thousand  feet  above  the  sea. 
Certainly  I  have  never  been  so  near  heaven  in  point  of  alti- 
tude as  here,  and  one's  thoughts  and  feelings  cannot  do 
otherwise  than  ascend  when  surrounded  with  the  wonders 
of  the  Almighty  hand.  I  found  myself  sighing  several  times 
with  the  intensity  of  my  feelings,  as  I  looked  upwards  from 
these  dark  mountain  passes  ;  and  once,  when  wrapped  in 
wonder,  and  I  may  say  devotion,  I  was  almost  startled  out 
of  my  propriety  by  the  shrill  bark  of  a  little  dog  breaking  in 
upon  the  silence,  and  I  certainly  thought  him  a  bad  name, 
though  I  did  not  utter  it.  It  has  a  singular  appearance,  when 
thus  high  to  look  down  and  around  upon  the  surface  of  the 
clefts  and  ridges  of  other  promontories,  and  it  seemed  to  me 
now  that  Mount  Righi  and  the  Arlberg  were  but  half  grown 
mountains.  Like  as  a  man  who,  by  some  little  talent,  but 
more  by  the  aid  of  cdventitious  circumstances,  reaching  the 
highest  point  of  his  ambitious  aspirings,  passes  regardless 
by  those  who,  in  the  innocence  and  artlessness  of  boyhood, 
he  looked  up  to  with  respect  and  veneration.  Our  moun- 
tains will  have  to  grow  some  time  yet  before  they  are  as  tall 
as  those  of  this  country.  Ours  seem,  like  the  country,  young 
and  new,  while  these  seem  coeval  with  time  itself;  and  you 
cannot  but  experience  a  feeling  of  awe  and  veneration  when 


100  THE    PASS    OF    ST.    GOTHARD. 

you  look  upon  these  hoary  patriarchs  as  they  rear  their 
"  frosty  pows"  skyward  :  and  the  effect  is  beautiful,  as  you 
see  them  sometimes  through  a  light  transparent  haze,  in 
which  apparently  a  third  of  them  is  enveloped. 

There  was  formerly  a  road  over  this  mountain,  but  when 
the  pass  of  the  Simplon  was  completed,  its  superiority  gave 
it  a  preference,  and  this  fell  to  decay  ;  but  since  then  another 
has  been  constructed,  by  the  inhabitants  of  Tercino,  in  Italy, 
and  of  Altorf,  Shortly  after  its  completion,  however,  a  storm 
destroyed  a  large  portion  of  it;  but  with  the  aid  of  the  Em- 
peror Joseph  II.,  it  was  finally  completed,  and  does  credit 
to  the  skilful  engineer  who  constructed  it.  The  steepest 
part  of  the  ascent  and  descent  is  made  by  galleries.  The 
road  winding  in  a  zig-zag  manner  up  the  size  or  face  of  the 
mountain,  is  supported  by  stone  walls,  guarded  at  the  outer 
edge  by  short  stone  pillars  ;  and  as  you  view  them  from 
below,  it  has  the  appearance  of  a  fortress — the  fortifications 
with  their  turrets  and  battlements,  rising  one  above  the  other. 
In  the  descent,  on  the  Italian  side,  there  is  a  succession  of 
waterfalls,  six  of  them  at  short  distances,  one  below  the  other, 
each  falling  from  twelve  to  thirty  feet  ;  and  as  we  turned, 
in  the  windings  of  the  gallery,  we  were  vis-a-vis  and  dos-a- 
dos  with  them  for  some  twenty  times  ;  till  at  last,  in  cross- 
ing a  bridge,  we  had  the  whole  in  view  at  once,  with  the 
dark  valley  behind  extending  far  beyond. 

At  Bellinzona  we  took  steamer  and  sailed  along  the  Lago 
Maggiore,  so  celebrated  for  its  beautiful  scenery  and  its 
lovely  isles  Borromeo ;  and  unspeakably  lovely  it  is,  with 
charming  Isola  Bella,  Isola  Madre,  Piscana,  and  Giovanni, 
which  have  not  been  too  much  extolled,  for  no  pen,  however 
graphic,  can  do  justice  to  a  truly  beautiful  landscape  :  it 
cannot  present  the  ripple  of  the  wave,  the  changeful  and 
varying  tints  of  the  evening  sky,  or  the  movements  of  ani- 
mate and  inanimate  nature,  that  give  life  and  beauty  to  the 


LOMBARD Y.  101 


scene.  We  landed  at  Cesto  Callende,  and  arrived  in  Milan 
at  eight  o'clock,  having  enjoyed  a  magnificent  sunset.  I  have 
just  been  into  a  church  near  by,  to  see  the  Catholic  funeral 
service  performed  over  the  body  of  a  young  girl  that  was 
borne  past  the  hotel.  The  procession  was  headed  by  a  num- 
ber of  sisters  of  charity,  with  blue  dresses,  white  aprons,  and 
white  muslin  veils  over  the  head ;  next  came  a  long  line  of 
priests,  with  long  black  dresses  and  short  lace  ones  ;  then 
the  coffin,  covered  with  a  rich  pall  of  white  satin,  embroid- 
ered in  silk  and  gold,  and  bordered  with  a  heavy  fringe  of 
gold,  and  tassels  of  the  same  ;  then  followed  friends  and  rela- 
tives, with  black  veils,  bearing  in  their  hands  lighted  wax 
candles,  very  long  ;  and  all  chanting,  the  men  and  the 
women  alternately ;  and  now  as  I  write,  the  rich  strains  of 
the  organ,  mingled  with  the  music  of  mournful  voices,  is 
heard  distinctly  from  the  church — for  we  could  not  stay  to 
see  the  whole,  having  this  letter  to  dispatch. 

In  the  land  of  the  vine,  olive  and  fig-tree — a  land  literally 
flowing  with  milk  and  honey — I  take  my  leave.  En  verito, 
what  a  feast  I  could  send  you,  if  there  were  ways  and  means 
expedient.  Such  luscious  grapes — white,  purple,  and  red — • 
so  sweet  and  juicy !  Such  exquisite  figs,  that  grow  by  the 
way-side  and  on  the  mountain ;  delicious  peaches  and  plums 
as  large  as  eggs ;  good  apples,  and  pears  in  the  greatest 
variety  and  abundance  I  have  ever  seen,  with  oranges  and 
lemons,  brought  from  a  little  farther  south ;  add  to  these 
gi-een  hazle  nuts,  chesnuts,  and  Madeira  nuts,  fresh  from  the 
tree,  and  something  you  have  never  tasted,  chamois'  meat 
and  goat's  cheese,  fresh,  and  I  think  I  have  given  a  very 
good  set  off  to  Mr.  S's  list  of  lonnes  houches  that  he  sent 
to  tempt  us  home.  Wishing  you  much  enjoyment  of  the 
same,  I  bid  you  adieu. 


102  CAVE    OF    ADELSBERG. 


LETTER  XL 

CAVE  OF  ADELSBERG THE  RIVER  POIK BALL  ROOM 

UNDER  GROUND PROTEUS  ANGUINUS THE  BORER. 

Trieste,  October, 
As  Mr.  C.  will  send  from  this  point,  I  have  determined  to 
finish  my  letter,  giving  you  instead  of  Greece,  a  description 
of  the  cave  of  Adelsberg,  which  I  think  will  equally  please 
you.  Adelsberg  is  about  thirty-six  miles  from  Trieste.  The 
grotto  is  said  to  be  the  most  wonderful  and  extensive,  as  well 
as  beautiful,  in  all  Europe,  perhaps  in  the  whole  world.  We 
had  with  us  all  day  the  Sirocco  or  south  wind,  which  blows 
from  the  S.  E.,  coming  from  the  Levant,  and  is  at  times  very 
hot  and  oppressive.  Leaving  the  busy  town  of  Trieste,  we 
entered  upon  a  barren,  arid  and  mountainous  region,  not 
altogether  uninteresting  however,  for  the  face  of  the  country 
is  very  singular  in  its  appearance.  On  the  sides  or  banks  of 
the  road  where  the  different  strata  were  perceptible,  you 
see  alternate  layers  of  earth  and  lime-stone,  the  latter  vary- 
ing from  one  to  six  inches  in  thickness.  These  layers  run 
in  every  direction  through  the  ground  perpendicularly,  hor- 
izontally and  diagonally,  and  being  broken  or  separated  into 
small  pieces,  resemble  rows  of  brickwork.  On  the  sur- 
face the  ground  is  covered  with  stone  that  has  the  appear- 
ance of  having  been  melted.  It  would  almost  seem  that  by 
some  convulsion  of  nature,  a  mountain  had  crumbled  and 
fallen  to  pieces,  scattering  its  fragments  over  the  whole 
country.  About  three  P.  M.  we  reached  the  entrance  of 
the  cave,  an  archway  or  opening  in  the  face  of  the  rock  to 
which  the  road  ascends.     Below,  at  a  short  distance  from 


GROTTO    OF    ADELSBERG.  103 

this,  is  another  cavernous  opening,  through  which  the  river 
Poik  enters  and  disappears  beneath  the  mountain.  As  soon 
as  we  were  fairly  in  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  the  guides  lighted 
their  torches,  and  with  baskets  filled  with  candles  and 
matches,  were  prepared  to  lead  the  way,  and  we  commenced 
our  march  "into  the  bowels  of  the  land."  Near  the  en- 
trance is  a  deep  ravine  where  the  guide  told  us  by  building 
steps,  thus  enabling  them  to  descend  some  two  hundred  feet, 
they  could  enter  another  cavern  that  extended  a  mile  farther, 
in  a  direction  not  yet  explored.  Not  far  from  this  we  enter 
a  lofty  chamber,  called  the  Duomo.  Here  the  river  Poik 
makes  its  appearance,  rushing  like  a  torrent  far  below,  los- 
ing itself  again  in  the  bowels  of  the  mountains,  reappearing 
at  Platina,  being,  as  is  supposed,  identical  with  the  river 
Unz.  Planks  of  wood,  it  is  said,  thrown  into  the  stream  of 
the  cavern  appear  in  that  river  after  ten  or  twelve  hours. 
This  chamber  is  more  than  a  hundred  feet  high,  and  the 
river  is  crossed  in  one  place  by  a  natural  bridge  of  one 
arch;  another  passage  is  made  by  an  artificial  bridge 
erected  for  the  purpose.  Crossing  this  we  descend  by  steps 
of  wood  to  a  great  depth,  and  on  the  other  side  again  ascend, 
and  enter  an  extensive  range  of  chambers.  As  we  looked 
back  before  entering,  the  effect  was  beautiful,  aided  by  the 
brilliant  light  of  some  one  hundred  candles  which  the  guides 
that  preceded  us  had  placed  there.  The  lofty  dome  with  its 
beautiful  chrystal  pillars  of  stalactite,  glittered  like  diam- 
onds, the  rushing  of  the  subterranean  torrent  in  the  depth 
below,  and  the  long  row  of  lights  winding  along  the  cause- 
way, steps  and  bridge,  produced  an  effect  indescribable  and 
incomparable.  We  stood  half  frightened,  half  amazed,  with 
the  exclamations — wonderful !  beautiful !  bursting  from  us 
at  every  respiration,  till  the  guides  motioned  us  on  to  new 
beauties  and  greater  marvels.  Stalactites  had  formed  them- 
selves into  every  shape  that  was  curious,  fantastic  or  beau- 


104  GROTTO    OF   ADELSBER0. 

tiful,  with  stalagmites  rising  to  make  good  any  deficiency? 
or  to  add  new  beauties  to  the  whole.  There  were  organs, 
whose  pipes  when  struck,  sent  forth  notes  of  liquid  harmony 
or  sonorous  bass  ;  bells  whose  sounds  reverberated  through 
the  windings  of  this  mysterious  grot.  Gardens  filled  with 
petrified  flowers,  and  trees  to  which  had  been  given  names 
according  to  their  likeness,  the  rose,  the  cauliflower,  the 
Cyprus,  and  the  banyan.  Many  a  beautiful  clustered  col- 
umn and  painted  archway  reminded  us  of  the  gothic  tracery 
of  the  most  magnificent  cathedrals.  One  beautiful  curtain 
or  flag  of  the  many  that  we  saw,  fell  in  folds  so  easy,  grace- 
ful and  natural,  as  would  have  immortalized  the  chisel  of  a 
modern  sculptor.  All  within  is  vast  and  magnificent,  and 
so  easy  of  access  and  exploration,  there  is  scarce  a  place 
that  requires  you  to  stoop,  and  your  admiration  is  constant 
and  unceasing  from  the  continued  variety  and  novelty  of  the 
objects  that  present  themselves  successively  to  the  mind  and 
eye.  One  of  the  largest  of  the  chambers  is  converted  once 
a  year  into  a  ball-room,  and  here  all  the  peasants  of  the 
country  for  miles  around  assemble  to  enjoy  themselves? 
making  the  vaults  resound  with  the  notes  of  music  and  re- 
velry. The  cave  is  in  most  parts  damp,  drops  of  water 
hanging  pendant  from  the  point  of  every  stalactite.  Many 
are  of  a  rich  yellow,  some  of  a  beautiful  rose  color,  others 
white  as  the  purest  alabaster  and  as  transparent — the 
drapery,  too,  which  in  many  parts  of  the  grot  is  beautifully 
transparent  and  bordered  with  an  inch  or  two  of  stripes 
of  red,  yellow  and  white,  when  seen  with  lights  placed 
behind  it,  appears  like  the  work  of  magic.  I  fancy  'twas 
here  that  Aladdin  found  his  wonderful  lamp.  We  were 
nearly  three  hours  exploring  the  grot,  and  at  a  pretty  quick 
pace,  as  we  had  had  a  long  ride  and  as  yet  no  dinner.  It 
is  reckoned  two  miles  in  length.  We  were  constantly  walk- 
ing, and  from  the  time  spent,  and  the  fatigue  we  experienced, 


THE    PROTEUS.  105 


I  should  judge  we  had  accomplished  at  least  five  miles  before 
we  made  our  exit.  The  surrounding  country  abounds  in 
caves,  one  would  almost  think  that  the  mountains  here  had 
at  some  prior  time  been  submitted  to  the  action  of  fire  till 
they  boiled  and  congealed  in  bubbles.  At  the  inn  where 
we  dined,  we  were  shown  an  animal  that  is  only  found  in 
one  of  the  caves,  called  "  Proteus  Anguinus."  It  is  in  ap- 
pearance between  a  fish  and  a  lizard  ;  it  is  of  a  flesh  color, 
and  its  respiratory  organs  combine  both  internal  lungs  and 
gills,  to  enable  it  to  breathe  both  in  air  and  water.  The 
gills  placed  on  each  side  of  the  head  as  in  a  fish,  are  of  a 
bright  red  color  resembling  small  branches  of  coral.  It  has 
no  eyes,  but  small  points  in  the  place  of  them.  It  has  been 
sometimes  found  at  Sittich,  about  thirty  miles  distant,  and  is 
supposed  to  exist  in  Sicily,  but  is  known  in  no  other  part  of 
the  world.  It  cannot  bear  the  light,  and  requires  to  be  kept 
in  an  equal  temperature.  And  now  I  have  done  with  the 
cave,  how  does  it  compare  with  those  you  have  seen  in 
America  ?  We  were  obliged  to  ride  two  hours  in  a  driving 
rain  to  reach  our  sleeping  place,  with  a  boreas  or  north 
wind  from  the  Alps  blowing  cold  and  fierce  all  the  way,  so 
fierce  indeed  is  this  borer,  as  it  is  called  here,  that  we  are 
told  that  the  heavy  travelling  wagons  of  the  country  are 
not  unfrequently  overturned  by  it,  utterly  unable  to  contend 
with  it,  and  are  wrecked  on  land.  The  next  morning  after 
passing  over  the  blank  and  dreary  space  that  intervenes,  the 
town  of  Trieste  opened  upon  us  most  beautifully,  situated  as 
it  is  along  the  shores  of  its  fine  bay  or  gulf,  its  white  houses 
spreading  over  the  hill  sides,  that  enclose  the  town  and  ex- 
tend themselves  in  points  and  promontories  on  either  side  of 
its  fine  harbor,  filled  with  vessels  from  all  parts  of  the  world  ; 
while  the  eye  rests  with  delight  upon  the  white  capped 
waves  of  the  Adriatic,  with  its  waters  so  "  darkly,  deeply, 
beautifully  blue,"  its  wide  expanse  stretching  outward  till  it 

5* 


106  TRIESTE. 

is  lost  in  the  lighter  blue  of  the  sky  above,  and  to  this  lovely 
picture,  the  Alps  ofStyria,  and  the  mountains  of  Istria,  form 
a  beautiful  blackground.  Trieste  is  a  busy,  active,  bust- 
ling seaport,  and  the  hum  of  human  voices  on  the  quay  in 
front  of  our  hotel,  is  constant  and  unceasing.  We  leave 
here  to-morrow  in  the  steamer  for  Athens,  touching  at  An- 
cona,  Corfu,  Patras,  and  Corinth,  spending  some  days  at 
each  place. 


CARLO    BORROMEO.  107 


LETTER  XII. 

CARLO      BORROMEO DUOMO    OF     MILAN VENICE ANCONA 

CORFU IONIAN    ISLES PATRAS ATHENS. 

Athens. 
I  MUST  retrograde  a  little  to  where  I  left  you  in  my  last, 
which  I  believe  was  in  or  about  Milan.  I  mentioned 
our  descent  on  the  Italian  side  of  the  Alps,  our  sail  along 
the  Lago  Maggiore,  the  beautiful  Borromeo  Isles,  on  the 
shores  of  which  is  a  collossal  statue  about  eighty  feet  high 
of  St.  Carlo  Borromeo,  who,  by  his  good  and  holy  life, 
raised  to  himself  a  pillar  of  fame  cemented  by  many  a  pious 
work,  and  by  his  deeds  of  charity  alone,  secured  to  himself 
(in  the  esteem  of  the  Milanese)  a  crown  of  glory,  and  so 
much  was  he  loved  in  life  and  worshipped  after  death  by 
them,  that  they  have  enshrined  him  in  that  ecclesiastical 
wonder,  the  Cathedral  of  Milan.  This  shrine  is  a  circular 
room,  sides  and  ceiling  entirely  lined  with  silver  and  gilt, 
and  ornamented  with  various  beautiful  devices  of  the  same 
precious  metals.  The  sides  of  the  room  are  divided  into 
many  compartments,  beautifully  embossed  and  chased,  de- 
picting the  remarkable  incidents  in  his  life — one  where  he 
is  distributing  an  enormous  sum  as  alms  to  the  poor  during 
a  famine — in  another  he  is  administering  the  sacrament  in 
the  streets  of  Milan,  to  the  populace  dying  of  the  plague, 
which  he  is  thought  by  his  prayers  to  have  stayed,  standing 
like  Aaron  between  them  and  the  destroying  angel.  After 
this  your  attention  is  called  to  an  immense  casket  of  silver 
and  gilt,  richly  embossed,  when,  by  the  aid  of  a  windlass, 
the  front  of  it  is  raised,  and  in  a  chrystal  case,  bound  to. 


108  DUOMO    OF   MILAN. 


gether  with  bands  of  gold,  and  hung  with  the  richest  votive 
offerings,  the  gifts  of  kings  and  princes,  you  see  the  body  of 
St.  Carlo  himself,  his  black  and  almost  fleshless  skull  in 
horrid  contrast  with  the  magnificent  drapery  of  his  rich  pon- 
tifical robes,  his  gorgeous  mitre  and  crosier,  and  the  crown 
of  gold  suspended  over  his  head.  Poor,  poor  humanity ! 
what  a  frail  tenement  is  its  earthly  tabernacle  !  But  we 
will  ascend  again  to  the  temple  above,  and  which  is  itself 
in  the  form  of  a  shrine  rather  than  of  the  usual  Greek  or 
Latin  cross.  Methinks  in  its  exterior  beauty  and  elaborate 
workmanship  it  might  compare  with  the  temple  of  Solomon 
in  all  its  glory.  The  wisdom  of  many  a  Solomon  during 
five  centuries  has  been  exercised  in  the  design  of  its  archi- 
tecture, and  the  artificers  of  many  lands  have  exerted  their 
utmost  taste  and  skill  in  its  beauty  and  ornaments.  They 
are  still  at  work,  and  when  its  fifteen  thousand  statues  shall 
all  be  completed,  whoever  lives  to  see  it,  may  well  pro- 
nounce it  a  miracle  of  the  work  of  men's  hands.  Its  ins- 
terior  strikes  you  with  awe  and  admiration,  from  its  not 
being  divided  into  shrines  or  chapels,  but  left  in  one  wide 
expansive  space,  and  as  you  stand  under  its  lofty  dome,  the 
light  streaming  through  its  richly  stained  windows,  and  re- 
flecting their  variegated  hues  on  the  beautifully  tessellated 
pavement  below,  and  list  to  the  rich  strains  of  the  organ 
pealing  and  reverberating  through  the  vaulted  arches,  while 
clouds  of  perfumed  incense  are  wafted  around  you,  there  is 
a  spirit  of  awe  that  makes  you  feel  that  you  are  in  the 
temple  of  the  Lord,  and  that  "  the  Lord  is  in  His  holy  tem- 
ple," and  bids  you  "keep  silence  before  him."  But  I  must 
pass  on.  We  visited  Como's  Lake,  and  leaving  Milan^ 
passed  through  Brescia  and  Verona,  visiting  the  fine  amphi- 
theatre  of  the  latter  said  to  be  the  most  perfect  now  re- 
maining of  its  very  ancient  tombs  and  monuments;  thence 
to  Vicenza  and  Padua,  where  we  remained  long  enough  to 


PADUA VENICE.  109 


visit  the  tomb  of  Antenor,  its  founder,  likewise  of  Livy  ;  saw 
the  Egyptian  figures  brought  by  Belzoni  the  traveller,  and 
with  a  young  Italian  gentleman,  our  fellow  traveller,  and 
who  had  been  a  student  here,  visited  its  ancient  university, 
so  renowned  in  former  and  in  the  present  time,  and  walked 
through  a  beautiful  grove  not  only  shaded  by  many  fine 
trees,  but  containing  some  fifty  statues  of  the  learned  men 
of  Padua  and  others,  who  had  made  themselves  a  name  by 
earning  fame.  A  rail-road  conveyed  us  from  Padua  to  the 
gulf  of  Venice,  where  a  gondola  awaited  us,  and  we  were 
soon  gliding  across  the  Lagoons,  and  Venice  with  her  thous- 
and isles  rose  from  the  bosom  of  the  sea.  With  it  a  thou- 
sand years  came  rushing  by  filled  with  the  history  of  the  past, 
and  we  have  sailed  along  its  grand  canal,  past  its  many 
palaces  so  sad,  so  ruined,  so  deserted,  and  yet  so  beautiful 
without,  "  as  if  the  wealth  within  them  had  run  o'er  ;"  past 
its  dark  and  sombre  prison  replete  with  death  and  mournful 
memories,  sighed  on  its  "  Bridge  of  Sighs,"  crawled  through 
the  "  dripping  vaults,"  and  in  the  "  plombed  cells,"  seated 
myself  in  the  doge's  chair  in  the  hall  of  inquisition,  walked 
through  the  chamber  of  the  "  Council  of  Ten,"  those  of  the 
Senate  and  the  "  Grand  Council,"  ascended  the  Scaladero, 
and  descended  the  marble  steps  "  down  which  the  grizzly 
head  of  old  Faliero  rolled" — have  seen  the  "  winged  lion" 
and  its  many  mouths,  the  proud  symbols  of  Venice  in  her 
power  and  glory — the  stone  of  shame  on  which  debtors  were 
absolved,  and  that  on  which  criminals  atoned  for  their  crimes 
by  pouring  out  their  blood,  and  have  stood  on  the  porphyry 
stone,  marking  the  spot  in  old  St.  Mark's  where  once  an 
emperor  knelt — the  proud  Frederick  Barbarossa,  to  receive 
on  his  bended  neck  the  foot  of  the  haughty  Pontiflf  Alexan- 
der III.,  and  have  moved  almost  entranced  before  the  portal 
of  this  gorgeous,  mystical  and  mosque-like  pile,  with  its  five 
hundred  columns  of  precious  marbles,  and  its  mosaics  of  rich 


110  IONIAN    ISLES. 


vivid  hues  on  their  glittering  field  of  gold,  have  climbed  its 
tall  Campanile,  and  viewed  its  many  isles,  each  crowned 
with  its  sainted  church,  and  last  of  all,  have  gondoliered  by 
moonlight. 

I  must  not  omit  to  mention  that  I  have  had  a  visit  from 
the  young  Count  Medin,  and  oh  !  how  sweet  and  beautiful 
he  is,  with  his  soft  dark  eyes,  and  long  dark  and  silken  ring- 
lets.    He  does  look  like  our  little  H.,  as  his  father  said  when 
we   showed  him  her  miniature  at  Berlin — a  resemblance 
which  made  me  heartily  homesick.     At  four  P.  M.,  we  left 
Trieste  in  a  steamer,  and  the  next  morning,  after  a  rough 
and  boisterous  night,  were  anchored  in  the  harbor  ofAn- 
cona.     I  was  too  ill,  or  rather  weak,  from  the  effects  of  sea- 
sickness, to  land,  which  we  were  obliged  to  do   in  a  small 
boat  over  a  sea  still  very  rough.     But   all  told  me  I  had 
much  the  best  view  where  I  was.     The    city    is  built  on 
two  conical  hills,  the  houses  rising  in  tiers  till  they  reach 
the    apex   of  each — one    being  crowned   by    a   fine    old 
church,  the  other  by  a  convent.     From  each  of  these  hills 
a  mole  extended  out  on  either  side  the  harbor,  one  built  by 
Trajan,  the  other  by  Pope  Clement  VII.     On  each  of  these 
was  an  arch,  one  erected  by  the  wife   and  sister  of  Trajan, 
to  commemorate  his  landing,  and  which  is  still  in  good  pre- 
servation and  very  beautiful,  the  other,  in  comparison,  dark, 
heavy  and  cumbersome.     About  seven  in  the  evening  we 
moved  out  of  the  harbor,  the  lights  in  the   many  houses  on 
the  hill  sides  glittering  like  fire-fiies  in  the  darkness,  and 
giving  the  town   a  beautiful  appearance.     On    the  eve  of 
Thursday  we  were  at  anchor  under  the  citadel  of  the  Isle 
of  Corfu,  (one   of  the  Ionian  Isles,)  which  is  built  on  the 
summit  of  a  high  and  steep  rock  overhanging  the    side. 
The  next  morning  we  landed  early  and  took  a  carriage.  A 
drive  of  two  hours  enabled  us  to  see  the  most  interesting 
parts  of  the  island — groves  of  olive  trees  with  their  pretty 


CORPTJ.  Ill 


fruit  and  beautiful  leaves,  emblems  of  peace — -the  dark  green 
of  the  foliage  in  wonderful  contrast  with  the  time-worn, 
venerable  trunks  ;  mingled  with  these  were  oranges  and 
lemons  with  their  golden  fruit,  fig-trees,  pomegranates,  and 
the  bamboo  waving  its  slender  and  graceful  leaf,  hedges  of 
the  Cactus  (a  century  plant)  of  an  enormous  size,  and  more 
beautiful  still  Avere  the  hedges  of  roses  and  geraniums  in 
full  bloom.  Dahlias  and  other  flowers  in  rich  profusion, 
and  myriads  of  singing  birds  filling  the  air  with  their  joyous 
notes  rejoiced  as  did  we  in  the  balmy  atmosphere.  A  soft 
haze  enveloped  the  sky,  mountain  and  water,  giving  even  to 
the  rocky  coasts  of  Albania,  that  "  rugged  nurse  of  savage 
men,"  a  softness  and  beauty  of  coloring  that  nothing  but  ac 
tual  observation  can  do  justice,  or  give  credence  to.  It  is 
all  one  lovely,  dreamy  vision.  We  returned  to  the  esplan- 
ade in  front  of  the  Governor's,  to  see  a  review  and  hear 
some  fine  music  from  the  band,  our  boat  which  left  next 
day  at  one  P.  M.,  passing  by  the  little  Isle  of  Vido  and 
"  Ulysses'  sail,"  which,  overtaken  by  Neptune,  was  "  here 
rooted  down  to  everlasting  rock."  We  had  the  Albanian 
coast  in  sight  till  dark,  and  I  counted  nineteen  Greek  boats 
with  their  tall,  slanting  lanteen  sails  ranged  along  its 
rocky  sides.  Next  morning  we  had  the  pleasure  of  a 
ramble  in  the  town  of  Patras,  which  we  had  reached  in 
the  night,  passing  the  islands  of  Zante  and  Cephalonia. 
This  town  suffered  extremely  during  the  Greek  revolution, 
having  been  burnt  by  the  Turks,  as  they  fled,  on  the  rising 
of  the  inhabitants,  to  the  fortress,  on  a  hill  behind  the  town, 
which  still  remains,  though  much  dilapidated.  We  climbed 
its  heights,  however,  and  had  a  fine  view  of  the  surrounding 
scenery  of  mountain,  sky  and  water,  while  the  new  town 
lay  like  a  model  at  our  feet.  Both  here  and  at  Corfu  we 
were  amid  a  Greek  population,  but  I  must  reserve  till  some 


112  LEPANTO — CORINTH. 


future  time  the  description  of  their  beautiful  Albanian   cos- 
tume. 

Athens. 

Shortly  after  leaving  Patras  we  enter  the  gulf  of  Lepanto 
or  Corinth,  guarded  on  either  side  of  its  narrow  entrance  by 
handsome  fortifications  of  recent  construction.  Soon  after  this 
we  were  opposite  the  town  of  Lepanto,  near  which  was  fought 
the  celebrated  naval  battle  by  the  combined  fleets  of  the 
christian  states  of  the  Miditerranean,  under  Don  John  of  Aus- 
tria, 1571,  against  the  Ottoman  fleet,  the  first  signal  defeat 
experienced  by  the  latter.  The  town  itself,  (like  all  Greek 
towns,)  is  built  on  the  hill  side  flanked  by  walls,  which  enclose 
both  town  and  harbor,  running  up  to  a  point,  and  surmounted 
on  the  summit  by  a  castle.  During  our  voyage  across  the 
gulf,  we  have  seen  myriads  of  swordfish,  their  bright  sides 
gleaming  in  the  sunshine,  and  their  painted  beak-like 
mouths  looking  very  singular.  Two  dolphins  likewise 
leaped  from  the  sea,  aflbrding  a  momentary  glance. 

We  had  a  view  of  the  summit  of  Mount  Parnassus,  but  I 
would  have  given  much  to  have  stood  at  the  base,  and  drank 
from  the  Castalian  fount  still  existing  there,  but  time  and 
circumstances  would  not  permit.  We  landed  here,  and  rode 
across  the  Isthmus  of  Corinth,  five  miles,  to  the  port  of  the 
^gean  gulf,  Calamachi,  the  ancient  Cenchrea,  where  St. 
Paul  shaved  his  head  because  he  had  a  vow,  and  where  re- 
sided Phebe,  sister  of  the  church,  by  whom  he  sent  his  epis- 
tle to  the  Romans.  It  is  a  poor  miserable  dirty  village  now, 
and  swarms  of  Greeks  covered  the  landing,  and  fill  ed  the 
main  street  on  our  arrival.  The  Greeks  are  very  curious. 
You  can  never  stop  to  buy  a  thing  but  you  are  immediately 
surrounded  by  a  swarm  of  inquisitive  faces.  But  in  my 
opinion,  "  Madame,"  curiosity  has  been  very  much  abused 
and  belied.  What  is  a  thirst  after  knowledge  but  curiosity 
educated  and  refined  ?     Leaving  Cenchrea,  we  were  soon 


ATHENS.  113 


making  for  the  port  of  Piraeus,  about  five  miles  distant  from 
Athens.  We  counted  fourteen  ships  of  war  of  different  na- 
tions, now  hovering  about  Greece,  in  consequence  of  the 
late  revolution,  of  which,  of  course,  the  papers  have  more 
fully  apprised  you  than  I  could.  I  only  know  that  the 
revolution  was  a  bloodless  one,  and  that  the  Greeks  ob- 
tained from  the  king  what  they  required,  a  constitution :  it  has 
been  brought  about,  and  all  is  now  quiet  as  if  nothing  had 
happened.  We  were  soon  comfortably  settled  in  the  "  Ho- 
tel des  Strangers,"  and  as  soon  as  we  had  breakfasted,  we, 
with  our  Greek  guide,  bent  our  steps  towards  the  heights, 
which  rise  behind  the  new  town,  and  which  are  so  replete 
with  historic  interest.  We  went  first  to  the  Temple  of  The- 
sens,  about  the  most  perfect  remains  in  Athens.  Near  this 
are  placed  the  marble  chairs  of  the  Areopagus.  The  Tem- 
ple of  Theseus  is  now  used  as  a  museum,  and  contains  the 
fragments  and  remains  of  many  statues,  pillars,  tombs,  in- 
scriptions  and  various  other  relics,  that  can  scarce  be  de- 
cided upon,  but  are  beautiful  even  in  their  broken  and  scat- 
tered parts.  Next,  after  ascending  the  Hill  of  Mars,  we 
found  ourselves  at  the  point  where  the  council  sat  in  the 
open  air  in  these  marble  chairs,  still  white  and  pure,  and  sat 
during  the  hours  of  darkness,  that  they  might  not  be  preju- 
diced by  the  sight  of  the  criminal ;  and  here,  too,  are  the  two 
stones  on  which  sat  the  accuser  and  the  accused.  Sixteen 
steps  in  the  rock  lead  to  it. 

After  making  a  descent,  and  winding  round  a  short  dis- 
tance, we  came  to  that  point  of  the  Hill  of  Mars  where  they 
brought  Paul  to  listen  to  his  preaching  of  the  "  unknown 
God,"  whom  in  their  ignorance  they  worshipped,  and  here 
I  may  say,  that  for  once  in  my  life,  I  have  trodden  in  the 
footsteps  of  St.  Paul ;  for  here  on  this  very  stone-platform, 
he  stood  when  he  delivered  to  the  Athenians  that  beautiful 
discourse,  commencing  "  Ye  men  of  Athens,  &c,"  and  you 


1X4  ATHENS. 


can  have  no  idea  with  what  interest  and  pleasure  I  turnedto 
the  17th  chapter  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  read  it  on 
my  return  from  this  holy  spot.     A  cross  deeply  cut  in  the 
rock  behind,  marks  the  spot,  wide  and  long  enough  to  con- 
tain  my  humble  self.     Near  this  are  enough  of  the  remams 
to  mark  the  site  of  the  church  built  to  commemorate  the 
conversion  of    Dyonysius   the    Areopagite,    by    St.    Paul. 
After  this  we   visited  the  prison  of  Socrates,  hewn  out  of 
the  solid    rock,   and  which  at   that    time  was    only   en- 
tered  from  above.     That  entrance  still  remains  as  then ; 
but  another  has  since  been  made  in  the  side,  from  this  spot 
you  distinctly  see  the  place  of  the  council  of  the  Areopagus 
on  the  sides  of  the  hill,  by  which  he  was  tried  and  sentenced, 
and  here   in  this  dismal  spot  he  submitted  to  the   sentence 
and  drank  the  fatal  poison.     I  could  give  you  an  immense 
catalogue   of  beautiful  temples  and  places  of  much  thril- 
ling  interest,  but   that  would  not  suffice   for  you  without 
a  description,  which  alone  of  any  one  of  them  would  fill  a 
letter.     One  circumstance  particularly  struck  us,  as  showmg 
the  wonderful  changes  in  and  about  Athens.     The  bed  of 
the  river  Ilissus,  which  once  admitted  their  vessels  of  war, 
(of  course  not  three  deckers,)  and  which  was  crossed  by  a 
bridge  of  a  single  arch  of  seventy  feet  in  the  span,  the  solid 
and  substantial  piers  of  which  still  remain,  is  dry  and  gra- 
velly and  narrow  as  our  rivulets,  and  even  this  slight  remnant 
is  almost  obliterated,  and  if  I  had  not  been  told  that  there  was 
once  a  river  here,  I  should  have  passed  it  regardless  by. 

We  wandered  amid  the  splendid  ruins  of  the  Parthenon 
—the  most  beautiful  building  on  the  most  beautiful  site 
in  the  world.  There,  too,  is  the  Temple  of  Victory 
without  wings,  which  has  been  excavated  and  rebuilt, 
piece  by  piece.  Then  there  is  the  Odeon  or  theatre  of 
Herodes  Atticus,  erected  in  honor  of  his  wife  ;  the  theatre 
and  grotto  of  Bacchus,  which  we  also  visited.     As  we  en- 


THE    ACROPOLIS.  115 


tered  the  Acropolis,  through  the  Propylea— Mr.  King  said, 
"  remember  you  are  now  treading  in  the  footsteps  of  the 
great  and  learned  Athenians  ;  for  it  was  by  this  vestibule 
they  all  ascended  and  entered."  The  Acropolis  is  enclosed 
by  walls,  the  foundations  of  which  are  generally  attributed 
to  Themistocles,  and  contain  a  circuit  of  fifteen  hundred  feet 
in  length  and  five  hundred  in  breadth,  and  all  this  space 
within  is  covered  with  enormous  masses  of  marble  ruins. 
From  this  height  Mr.  King  pointed  to  the  site  of  the  Aca- 
demy  of  Aristotle— the  gardens  of  Plato,  and  we  could  dis- 
tinctly  see  the  little  gulf  in  which  was  fought  the  great 
naval  battle  between  the  fleet  of  Xerxes  and  the  Athenians, 
and  the  very  point  on  which  he  is  supposed  to  have  been 
seated  to  witness  the  battle. 

Athens. 
Two  days  have  elapsed  since  my  last  writing,  and  those 
we  have  spent  in  an  an  excursion  to  Marathon.  "  The 
mountains  look  on  Marathon,  and  Marathon  on  the  sea," 
and  so  did  Mr.  C.  and  his  lady,  and  I  shall  from  this  time 
forth  dub  myself  a  heroine,  not  alone  that  I  have  looked 
on  Marathon,  but  from  the  arduous  and  somewhat  perilous 
undertaking  it  was  for  me  to  accomplish.  You  may  ima- 
gine what  a  road  it  was  when  it  takes  eight  hours  to  go 
twenty-eight  miles,  and  we  went  as  expeditiously  as  possible 
in  seven.  It  is  a  mountain  path  so  narrow,  that  even 
two  horses  cannot  pass,  and  the  donkies  and  their  drivers 
that  we  met,  had  to  scramble  up  the  banks  to  allow 
us  to  go  on.  In  the  valleys  the  road  is  over  a  bushy  heath 
or  moor,  and  I  can  say  now  that  "  I  know  a  bank  whereon 
the  wild  thyme  grows,"  for  the  air  was  filled  with  the  fra- 
grance exhaled  by  the  odorous  herbs  crushed  beneath  our 
horses'  feet.  Byron,  and  so  many  other  pens,  have  described 
Marathon  that  it  would  be  preposterous  for  me  to  attempt 
it.     I  will  only  add  my  testimony,  that  it   cannot  be  de- 


116  MARATHON. 


scribed  more  beautifully  than  it  is  as  a  battle-field,  with  the 
beautiful  landscape  that  surrounds  it. 

It  is  enclosed  on  all  sides  by  mountains,  from  the  foot  of 
which  it  extends  to  the  sea  or  gulf  of  Marathon,  as  that  part 
is  called  which  washes  the  shores  of  the  plain.  We  rode 
over  this  plain,  visiting  the  remains  of  the  tomb  of  Miltiades, 
the  mound  which  was  raised  over  the  three  hundred  Atheni- 
ans who  fell  in  the  battle— and  along  the  shores  of  the  blue 
waters  of  its  gulf,  which  is  formed  by  the  most  graceful  bend, 
like  the  curve  of  a  sickle.  In  the  gulf  were  some  lovely 
islands,  and  on  the  opposite  shore,  at  a  short  distance,  the 
mountains  and  lands  of  Negropont.  When  we  retraced 
our  steps  across  the  plain,  the  murky  shades  of  evening 
were  fast  gathering  over  the  field,  and  enveloping  all  in  twi- 
light's dusky  hues,  save  where  the  light  of  the  departed  sun 
still  lingered,  reflected  on  the  clouds  which  hovered  over  the 
mountains,  and  as  we  passed  the  remains  of  the  crumbling 
monuments,  we  felt  most  sensibly,  "  where'er  we  trod, 
'twas  haunted,  holy  ground."  On  our  way  home  we  made 
a  "  detour"  to  Mount  Pentelicus,  where  are  the  quarries  from 
which  ancient  Athens  was  built,  and  where  you  see  with 
what  labor  they  procured  the  immense  blocks  for  build- 
ing, by  the  chisel  and  hammer  alone,  gunpowder  being 
then  unknown.  I  think  we  have  now  seen  all  that  is  most 
interesting  in  Greece.  We  have  visited  mountain,  hill  and 
ruin,  till  our  senses  ache  with  gazing  to  behold  "the  scenes 
our  earliest  dreams  have  dwelt  upon.'*  , 


GREEK    COSTUME.  117 


LETTER  XIII. 

GREEK     COSTUME ISLAND     OF     SCIO—- RAVAGES     OF     THE 

GREEK    REVOLUTION SMYRNA CARAVAN    OF    CAMELS 

VISIT     TO     THE     SLAVE      MARKET THE      GOLDENHORN 

CAIQUES PLEASURE COSTS,  &;C. 

Constantinople,  November. 
From  the  "city  of  the  Sultan,"  within  view  of  the  "sub- 
lime porte,"  in  the  town  of  Pera,  amid  a  motley  conglome- 
ration of  "  Franks"  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  speak- 
ing  as  many  languages  as  must  have  formed  a  good  part  of 
the  confusion  of  tongues  at  the  tower  of  Babel ;  within 
sound  of  the  muezzin,  (or  call  to  prayer  of  the  musselman,) 
and  withal,  I  may  say,  in  the  midst  of  a  "  city  of  the  dead," 
(for  an  extensive  Turkish  cemetery  is  beneath  our  window, 
filled,  as  they  all  are,  with  a  forest  of  the  dark  funeral  cy- 
press and  an  army  of  the  turbaned  tomb-stones,  gleaming 
like  "  sheeted  ghosts"  beneath  their  dark  shadows,)  my  let- 
ter from  the  far  east  is  addressed.  I  omitted  in  my  last 
from  Athens  to  describe  the  beautiful  Albanian  costume,  of 
which  I  can  give  you  a  specimen  in  the  dress  worn  by  our 
guide  Antonio  Nicolaki,  (who  is  considered  the  best  cice- 
rone in  Athens,)  when  he  came  to  us  in  his  fete  dress  the 
day  we  left.  On  his  head  was  a  high  red  cloth  cap,  with  a 
large  gold  ornament  on  the  top  of  the  crown,  from  which 
hung  a  blue  tassel  of  twisted  silk  cord,  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  yard  long,  and  thick  in  proportion.  The  cap  comes 
quite  low  in  the  forehead,  beneath  it  gleams  the  bright  and 
sparkling  eye  of  black,  with  the  arched  brow  and  fierce 
mustache.     The  snow-white  cambric  shirt  is  worn,  Byron- 


L 


118  GREEK    COSTUME. 


like — its  collar  and  front  thrown  open  to  expose  the  throat 
and  chest.  Next  comes  a  vest  of  blue,  (or  any  other  color 
that  suits  the  wearer,)  fastened  across  the  breast  with  loose 
braids,  so  as  not  to  hide  the  shirt,  and  over  this  a  jacket  of 
blue,  and  usually  this  is  covered  with  embroidery  of  braid  of 
the  same  color  ;  but  this  of  to-day  was  loaded  with  silver 
braid,  mixed  with  the  blue,  with  a  great  deal  of  taste.  The 
sleeves  are  open  all  the  way  down,  with  buttons  and  loops 
to  fasten  them  together  just  as  they  like,  which  is  generally 
in  the  bend  of  the  elbow,  leaving  the  loose  white  sleeve  of 
the  shirt  free  as  well  as  the  dark  swarthy  arm  it  exposes. 
The  bottom  of  the  sleeve  is  cut  pointed,  and  hangs  loose 
from  the  elbow,  swinging  gracefully  to  and  fro  with  every 
motion  of  the  body.  About  the  waist,  which  they  pride 
themselves  in  having  very  small,  is  bound  a  scarf  of  silk, 
corresponding  in  color  to  the  rest  of  the  dress.  Antonio's 
was  blue  and  white.  This  serves  to  confine  the  "  fusten- 
ella"  (a  skirt  of  fine  white  cotton,  extending  to  the  garter,) 
made  exceedingly  full.  Antonio  said  his  contsrined  one 
hundred  and  fifteen  breadths,  and  I  should  think  it  possible. 
They  wear  drawers  of  red  or  white  flannel  or  cotton,  ac- 
cording to  the  season.  These  are  met  at  the  knee  by  a 
gaiter  which  meets  the  red  sharp  pointed  slipper,  and  be- 
low the  knee  the  gaiter  is  confined  by  a  crimson  silk  cord 
or  braid,  wound  round  the  leg  till  it  forms  a  band  as  broad 
as  the  hand,  and  these  gaiters  are  by  no  means  the  least 
ornamented  part  of  the  dress,  being  covered  with  embroidery 
of  braid,  and  ornamented  on  the  calf  with  a  huge  rosette  in 
addition.  To  complete  the  costume,  they  have  ever  in  their  • 
hand  a  string  of  beads,  a  yard  long,  fastened  together  at  the 
ends,  which  serve  as  a  play-thing,  and  to  say  their  prayers 
by.  Antonio's  were  of  amber,  and  you  may  imagine,  if  my 
description  answers  at  all  to  the  truth,  that  he  was  as  he 
thought  himself,  irresistible.     I  could  not  forbear  expressing 


SMYRNA.  119 


my  admiration  of  his  dress,  and  my  strong  desire  to  pack 
him  up  and  send  him  to  America,  to  which  he  expressed  his 
ready  will  and  strong  desire  to  go,  and  seemed  quite  de- 
lighted  with  the  drift  of  my  compliment.  The  picture  cannot 
be  complete  till  you  have  seen  a  Grecian  walk.  They  carry 
themselves  as  if  all  the  blood  of  their  noble  and  warlike  an- 
cestors flowed  in  the  veins  of  each  individually,  and  the 
motion  of  their  loose  flowing  dress,  gives  to  their  movements 
an  indescribable  grace.  "  Grace  is  in  every  limb,  in  every 
motion  dignity  and  ease,"  even  in  the  lowest  co  w-herd,  with  his 
goat-skin  covering,  the  same  is  remarkable,  and  you  cannot 
but  repeat  your  renewed  admiration.  Their  King  Otho, 
with  whom  Mr.  C.  was  much  pleased,  has  the  good  sense 
to  adopt  the  Albanian  costume. 

Among  the  many  beautiful  islands  of  the  Archipelago 
which  we  passed,  none,  I  think,  was  so  lovely  in  appear- 
ance as  Scio,  and  none  so  interesting  from  the  dreadful  suf- 
fering of  its  inhabitants,  during  that  terrible  and  bloody  re- 
volution,  and  unsuccessful  struggle  for  liberty,  of  these  brave 
Sciotes.  Out  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  only 
nine  hundred  remained,  the  greater  part  were  murdered, 
some  fled,  and  forty  thousand  were  sold  as  slaves.  The 
island  is  rich  and  verdant,  and  towns  and  villages  extend  for 
miles  and  miles  along  its  coast,  which  are  now  almost,  and 
in  some  places  totally  deserted,  and  only  the  outer  walls  of 
buildings  standing.  I  know  nothing  that  could  have  caused 
such  sad  and  mournful  feelings  as  did  the  sight  of  these 
ruined  dwellings,  scattered  over  hill  and  dale,  and  even  the 
thickly  built  towns,  tenantless  and  deserted. 

At  Smyrna  we  were  received  with  great  kindness  by  the 
Dutch  consul,  to  whom  we  had  letters,  and  equally  well  by 
our  own,  to  whom  we  had  none,  and  on  whom  we  had  no 
other  claim,  but  that  of  a  common  country.  There  was  a 
presentation  of  sweetmeats  and  coffee  at  the  Dutch  consul's, 


120  A    CARAVAN. 


which  I  must  describe  to  you.     One  servant  offers  a  silver 
waiter,  on  which  is  an  empty  silver  cup,  and   on  either 
side,    a   silver   dish   containing   sweetmeats.     Spoons   are 
placed  around  the  waiter,  with  which  you  taste  one  mouth- 
ful of  the  sweets,  and  put  the  spoon  you  have  used  into  the 
empty  silver  cup.     Another  servant  then  steps  up  with  a 
waiter  and  hands  you  a  cup  of  coffee  in  a  little  china  cup, 
about  the  size  of  H.'s  toy  cups.     The  little  cups  are  held  in 
little  stands,  like  egg  cups  of  silver,  of  the  most  beautiful 
filigree  work  you  can  possibly  conceive.       The  coffee  is 
black  and  strong,  with  sugar,  but  no  milk.     Our  consul,  at 
Smyrna,  is  a  bachelor,  but  he  gave  us  an  excellent  dinner, 
and  entertained  us  very  kindly.     We  here,  too,  were  served 
with  coffee  in  the  same  little  fairy  cups,  with  their  exquisite 
stands ;  and  better  than  all,  as  our  boat  put  off  to  take  us 
to  the  steamer,  he  ran  up  our  nation's  banner  to  the  top 
of  the  flag-staff,  near  his  dwelling,  cheering  our  hearts  and 
eyes  with  the  stripes  and  stars  of  our  country's  flag.    While 
at  Smyrna,  there  arrived  a  caravan  of  camels,  and  the  nar- 
row streets  were  filled  with  these  meek  and  patient  crea- 
tures, and  their  huge  burdens  looking  about  as  oriental  as 
anything  we  have  seen.  You  see  a  vast  number  of  turbaned 
Turks,  seated  cross-legged  on  their  shop-boards,  smoking 
universally  either  the  chibouk,  with  its  stick  some  six  feet 
long,  or  the  argila  with  its  flexile  and  snake-like  tube,  and 
the  women  with  their  yellow  papooshes  (or  boots)  with  thin 
soles,  over  which  they  wear  in  the  streets  mestlers  or  slip- 
pers of  the  same  color.  A  long  loose  robe,  called  a,feridgee, 
with  loose  hanging  sleeves,  entirely  covers  the  figure,  (form 
I  believe  they  have  none,  for  they  are  almost  shapeless,) 
while  the  face  is  enveloped  in  folds  of  thin  muslin,  through 
which  they  see  without  being  seen.     Over  this  is  thrown  a 
yashmac  or  veil  of  white  cambric.     Occasionally  you  can 
get  a  glimpse  of  a  face,  when  anything  excites  the  wearer's 


THE    SLAVE    MARKET.  121 

curiosity,  and  entices  her  to  open  the  folds,  and  I  must  say, 
that  so  far  as  I  have  seen,  they  may  as  well  conceal  them 
out  of  pity  to  mankind,  lest  they  should  fright  them  with 
their  ugliness.  They  have  usually  fine  eyes,  but  are  very 
pale  and  sallow,  and  all  look  alike,  both  in  age  and  features. 
Were  I  to  meet  twenty  different  ones  singly,  at  intervals,  I 
should  never  know  but  that  I  had  seen  the  same  one  at 
every  different  turn.  They  lead  such  a  dull  life,  poor 
things,  that,  if  like  christian  women,  they  are  born  with 
souls,  I  should  think  it  quite  possible,  according  to  the  mus- 
sufman  creed,  they  would  be  soulless  when  they  die. 

We  visited  at  Smyrna  a  slave  market,  but  there  were 
only  six  or  eight  poor  blacks,  blacker  than  any  I  have  ever 
seen  in  America,  yet  withal  better  featured,  and  quite  good 
looking,  but  as  savage  and  untamed  as  a  wild  Arab.  They 
approached  us  as  we  entered  with  loud  cries  and  threaten- 
ing gestures,  and  even  laid  hands  on  one  of  the  gentlemen, 
but  the  master  came  and  restored  order.  We  went  into  the 
large  square  court,  and  looked  into  the  wretched  stalls  with 
which  it  is  surrounded,  all  empty  but  one,  whose  tenant  was 
stretched  out  on  his  wooden  bedstead  eating  some  coarse 
bread,  but  who,  on  seeing  us,  came  violently  forward  and 
shut  the  door  in  our  faces.  For  my  part  I  was  glad  to  with- 
draw  from  the  sickening  spectacle.  Mr.  C.  has  since  visited 
one  here,  where  he  says  there  were  some  four  hundred,  about 
one  hundred  Circassians,  very  fair,  but  so  closely  veiled  that 
he  could  not  judge  of  their  beauty.  The  rest  were  blacks, 
seeming  very  happy,  laughing  and  chatting,  and  all  came 
forward  offering  themselves  for  sale. 

We  were  all  on  deck  on  the  morning  of  November  3d, 
gazing  with  delight  on  the  beautiful  scenery  of  the  Darda- 
nelles, lined  all  the  way  on  either  side  with  minarets,  forts  and 
fortifications.  Near  their  entrance  from  the  Archipelago  we 
passed  the  Isle  of  Tenedos,  opposite  to  which  are  the  plains  of 

6 


122  THE    GOLDEN    HORN. 


Troy  with  its  ancient  mounds.  We  discussed  the  wondrous 
feats  of  Leander  and  Lord  Byron  as  w^e  rounded  Sestos  and 
Abydos,  as  well  as  the  most  feasible  point  for  Xerxes'  bridge, 
listened  with  curious  ear  to  the  first  muezzin  we  had  heard, 
as  "  Allah  el  Allah,"  (there  is  but  one  God  and  Mahomet  is 
his  prophett)  sounded  from  a  tall  minaret  on  our  right,  and 
gazed  with  equally  curious  eye  on  the  blood  red  flag  with 
its  white  star  and  crescent,  as  it  fluttered  in  brightness  on 
the  green  bank  amid  a  cluster  of  cypress  which  shadowed 
the  grave  of  a  holy  Turk.  Among  our  passengers  were 
Turks  with  their  shaven  heads  and  long  beards,  and  turbans 
of  various  hues,  at  the  hour  of  prayer  turning  their  faces 
towards  Mecca,  bowing  their  heads  repeatedly  to  the  ground 
in  prayer.  I  had  before  no  idea  of  the  size  and  vast 
extent  of  this  great  city  of  the  sultan.  Entering  from  the 
sea  of  Marmora  we  were  sailing  in  the  steamer  nearly  an 
hour  ere  we  turned  the  Seraglio  point,  and  anchored  in  the 
*'  Golden  Horn,"  and  passing  by  all  that  time  a  thickly  built 
city,  with  houses  literally  crow^ding  upon  each  other ;  for 
the  streets  are  so  narrow  that  the  projecting  flat  roofs  meet 
over  head.  We  passed  first  St.  Stephana,  a  sort  of  sporting 
ground — game  abounding  in  the  vicinity.  Here  the  inha- 
bitants of  this  great  city  of  the  east  possess  country  seats, 
and  resort  to  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  the  chase.  A  pretty 
white  house  was  pointed  out  as  having  been  the  residence 
of  Com.  Porter,  whose  remains  have  recently  been  conveyed 
to  America.  Then  you  pass  the  powder  magazines  and 
barracks,  both  very  handsome  as  well  as  extensive.  Then 
come  the  seven  towers,  and  the  thick,  solid,  handsomely  or- 
namented wall,  built  by  Constantino,  and  now  somewhat  di- 
lapidated, showing  the  marks  of  neglect  and  "  decay's  effac- 
ing fingers," — which  enclose  the  city  of  Stamboul,  and  extend 
along  the  water's  edge  some  twelve  or  thirteen  miles.  This, 
as  I  have  mentioned,  is  built  along  a  gently  rising  ground, 


CONSTANTINOPLE.  123 


with  mosques  and  minarets,  sprinkled  plentifully  among  the 
low  and  flat  roofed  dwellings.  Along  the  ridge,  alone,  with 
a  beautiful  sky  for  a  back  ground,  I  counted  nearly  thirty  of 
these  immense  mosques,  with  their  huge  and  swelling  domes 
and  cupolas,  and  along  the  water's  edge  as  many  more  see 
themselves  mirrored  in  the  glassy  wave  beneath,  and  all 
throughout  the  city  they  mingle  with  the  common  dwellings. 
The  mosques  have  generally  two  minarets ;  St.  Sophia 
has  four,  and  that  of  Solyman  the  magnificent,  six.  These 
minarets  resemble  much  our  tallest  monuments,  like  that 
of  Washington  at  Baltimore,  and  are  as  high  above  the 
mosques  as  that  is  above  ordinary  dwellings.  They  are  of 
uniform  diameter  until  near  the  top,  when  they  taper  to  a 
point,  and  this  part  is  painted  black  or  slate  color — the  rest  is 
of  a  marble  whiteness.  Just  below  where  this  division  is  made 
by  the  two  colors,  there  is  a  gallery  in  which  is  an  opening 
whence  the  muezzin  issues  to  announce  the  hour  of  prayer. 
This  he  does  in  a  singing  monotonous  tone  four  times,  turn- 
ing himself  north,  south,  east  and  west,  that  all  the  nations 
of  the  world  may  turn  to  the  true  God. 

'*  Allah  el  Allah"  is  cried  five  times  a  day,  and  then  the 
faithful  wherever  they  may  be,  perform  their  ablutions, 
washing  their  arms,  feet  and  head,  and  kneel  with  their  faces 
towards  Mecca,  and  bow  their  heads  to  the  ground  very 
many  times,  sometimes  till  they  are  very  much  exhausted. 
You  know  that  it  is  not  allowed  a  Mussulman  to  taste  wine, 
but  it  is  said  they  now  drink  champagne  and  rum,  which 
Mahomet  did  not  forbid,  for  the  same  reason  that  he  did  not 
prohibit  their  traveling  on  railroads,  as  such  things  neither 
existed  or  were  dreamt  of  in  his  philosophy.  These  Turks 
have  such  beautiful  names  for  their  beautiful  things — the 
"  Golden  Horn"  for  their  harbor,  filled  with  the  ships  of  all 
nations,  whose  thick  and  towering  masts  form  a  forest  of 
themselves. 


124  THE    CAIQUES. 


One  of  the  prettiest  sights  here  are  the  caiques  dancing 
on  the  waves  in  the  "  Golden  Horn"  in  every  direction. 
They  are  in  form  like  our  Indian  canoes,  sharp  at  both  ends, 
long  and  narrow,  and  much  ornamented  with  pretty  carving, 
though  without  paint.  They  have  no  seats,  and  you  place 
yourself  in  the  bottom,  and  are  so  light  that  you  must  give 
warning  when  you  would  change  from  one  side  to  the  other, 
lest  in  an  unguarded  moment  you  topple  the  boat  over. 
These  boats  are  in  the  place  of  carriages,of  which  there  are 
but  few  and  until  lately  none,  and  it  is  said  they  number  no 
less  than  eighty  thousand.  Another  of  these  places  with 
beautiful  names  is  the  "  Valley  of  Sweet  Waters,"  where 
they  go  to  pass  their  fete  and  holidays,  and  being  at  some 
distance,  the  women  go  in  a  gilded  cart,  with  a  canopy  over 
the  top,  drawn  by  oxe«.  I  intend  to  have  a  ride  in  one 
before  I  leave.  I  was  conveyed  from  the  steamer  to  our 
lodgings  in  a  palanquin,  two  men  sustaining  it  behind,  and 
one  before.  The  Turkish  women,  dressed  like  those  in 
Smyrna,  with  their  feridgee  of  green,  and  notwithstanding 
that  they  could  not  be  seen,  made  use  of  their  own  eyes, 
and  stretched  themselves  in  every  way  to  get  a  view  of  the 
interior  of  my  unique  conveyance. 


CONSTANTINOPLE.  125 


LETTER  XIV. 

FIRE  TOWERS CEMETERIES "  SWEE  TWATERS  OF  EUROPE" 

ROYAL    BURIAL    PLACE THE      SULTAN CURIOUS     WO- 
MEN  DOGS DERVISHES SAIL  UP  THE  BOSPHORUS DR. 

WOLFE VISIT  TO  ALI  BEY INTERIOR    OF    HIS    HAREM 

CONVERSATION    WITH    HIS    WIVES. 

On  one  excursion  we  mounted  a  high  tower — the  fire 
tower  of  Galata,  from  which  the  alarm  of  fire  is  given,  as 
well  as  information  in  what  part  of  the  city  it  has  com- 
menced.  There  are  others  at  each  extremity  of  the  Golden 
Horn,  and  these  towers,  like  the  minarets,  are  of  uniform 
circumference  till  within  a  few  feet  of  the  top,  when  like 
them  they  taper  to  a  point,  the  tapering  part  being  painted 
black,  and  surmounted  by  a  gilt  crescent.  From  their  sum- 
mits you  have  a  most  extensive  view  of  the  city,  its  beau- 
tiful waters  and  lovely  environs.  Our  road  to  the  tower 
lay  through  the  extensive  cemetery  near  our  lodgings  in 
Pera,  giving  us  therefore  an  opportunity  of  viewing  more 
closely  one  of  these  Turkish  cities  of  the  dead.  Thousands 
who  once,  like  us,  gazed  upon  these  enchanting  scenes, 
were  sleeping  beneath  the  green  turf  pressed  by  our  feet, 
their  dark  and  dreary  tenements  as  thickly  clustered  as  the 
habitations  of  the  living  surrounding  them.  These  ceme- 
teries, some  more  extensive  than  others,  are  all  alike  in 
other  respects,  filled  with  the  tall  dark  funeral  cypress, 
seemingly  the  mournful  sentinels  of  the  dead,  keeping  their 
lonely  watch  over  the  silent  sleepers  beneath  the  green 
turf,  which  their  tall  shadows  darken,  as  if  they  still  mourn- 


126  THE    CEMETERIES. 


ed  those  forgotten  by  the  living.  They  seem  to  be  thor- 
oughfares to  all,  and  are  in  summer  much  resorted  to  as 
places  of  enjoyment,  where  the  inhabitants  of  this  great  city 
repair  and  seat  themselves  on  the  green  and  verdant  carpet 
of  nature's  weaving,  to  chat,  laugh,  and  eat  ices  and  fruits. 
The  crowded  pillars,  with  various  head  pieces,  denote  the 
rank  of  those  who  sleep  below,  while  a  plain  white  painted 
slab,  with  sometimes  a  simple  rose,  marks  the  resting  place 
of  one  of  the  gentler  sex,  while  many  other  are  richly  gilt 
or  gaily  painted.  Now  and  then  a  temple-like  building 
forms  a  mausoleum  for  some  modern  Dives,  and  on  the 
steps  of  one,  Major  G.  and  myself  seated  ourselves,  shel- 
tered from  wind  and  shaded  from  sun,  awaiting  the  return 
of  Mr.  C.  and  our  dragoman  Demetrius,  who  had  gone  to 
procure  some  refreshments  and  warmer  clothing,  as  v/e  had 
found  the  weather  so  promising  in  descending  the  tower 
that  we  resolved  to  take  a  caique  and  go  to  the  "  Sweet 
Waters  of  Europe,"  a  lovely  valley,  one  of  the  favorite 
places  here  of  resort  to  people  of  all  nations.  While  await- 
ing their  return,  we  saw  at  a  short  distance,  a  number  of 
men  bearing  a  body  to  the  tomb.  They  do  not  put  the  dead 
in  coffins,  but  place  the  body  on  aplank,  and  cover  it  with 
light  thin  boards,  over  which  is  thrown  a  gay  looking  pall. 
They  believe  the  soul  is  suffering  from  the  time  it  leaves 
the  body  until  it  is  buried,  and  therefore  the  burial  takes 
place  as  soon  as  possible,  and  the  men  walk  at  a  very  hur- 
ried pace  while  conveying  it  to  the  grave,  believing,  too, 
that  he  who  carries  a  body  forty  paces  procures  for  himself 
expiation  for  a  great  crime.They  never  open  a  grave  to  bury 
another,  and  dig  it  but  two  feet  deep,  so  as  literally  to 
verify  the  antique  wish,  "May  the  earthrest  lightly  on  him." 
It  is  their  custom  also  to  plant  a  tree  at  the  birth  and  another 
at  the  death,  of  each  member  of  a  family,  and  a  cypress  is 
always  pla;nted  at  the  head  of  a  Moslem's  grave,  the  aro- 


EYOUB.  127 


matic  odor  of  which  is  supposed  to  do  away  the  effects  of 
pestilential  vapors  naturally  consequent  on  burying  so  closely 
together,  and  so  near  the  surface,  as  is  the  custom  here. 
These  cities  of  the  dead,  with  their  groves  of  cypress,  are 
marked  and  distinguishing  features  of  a  Turkish  city.  Sail- 
ing along  the  Golden  Horn  we  stopped  at  Eyoub,  where  is 
a  beautiful  mosque,  erected  to  Eyoub,  or  Job,  the  prophet 
or  companion  of  Mahomet.  The  court-yard  was  filled  with 
beautiful  roses  and  other  flowers  in  full  bloom,  but  there  was 
no  admittance  into  this  Mahometan  Holy  of  Holies  for  the 
Giaour.  Here  the  Sultan  Mahmoud  H.,  the  Lion-Hearted, 
was  girded  with  the  royal  sabre  by  MoUah  Hunkier  one  of 
the  Meolevea  Dervishes  with  whom  the  office  is  hereditary, 
and  who  was  at  the  time  only  seven  years  old  ;  and  here  is 
usually  held  the  coronation  of  the  sultans,  the  Westminster 
Abbey  of  the  Byzantic  city.  We  went  into  the  court  of 
the  mosque  and  gathered  some  of  the  beautiful  roses  grow- 
ing in  profusion  there,  to  which  no  objection  was  made,  but 
when  we  approached  the  other  side  of  the  Mosque,  and  drew 
as  near  as  we  dared  to  get  a  view  of  the  interior,  we  found 
we  could  see  only  an  inner  sort  of  court  in  which  grew  an 
immense  tree,  and  asking  our  dragoman  if  money  would 
not  here  as  elsewhere  gain  us  admittance,  he  begged  us 
not  to  make  the  experiment.  A  venerable  looking  old 
Mussulman  with  his  long  white  beard  and  flowing  robes 
came  forward,  saying  "  we  could  gain  entrance  to  other 
mosques,  but  to  this  no  christian  was  ever  admitted.'"  Near 
the  mosque  is  a  sort  of  royal  cemetery,  containing  the  mau- 
soleum of  the  unfortunate  Selim  who  was  murdered  by 
his  cousin,  the  brother  of  the  late  Mahmoud,  and  who  was 
afterwards  himself  murdered  by  Mahmoud.  He  is  here 
iAterred  with  two  of  his  wives  in  richly  ornamented  huge 
coffins,  covered  with  rich  palls,  and  enclosed  by  magnificent 
railings  of  mother  of  pearl.  The  walls  are  richly  decorated 


128  THE    SWEET   WATERS    OP   EUR01*JE:. 

with  large  gold  Turkish  characters,  and  around  the  enclos- 
ure, on  low  stands,  at  short  intervals,  is  placed  the  Koran 
covered  with  a  green  baize.  All  this  you  see  by  looking 
through  the  gilt  lattice  of  the  octagonal  temple  containing 
the  mausoleum  itself.  Opposite,  with  a  street  intervening 
between,  we  entered  an  extensive  enclosure,  the  burial 
place  of  the  Pachas,  rich  in  marble,  gaily  painted  and  gilt, 
made  more  beautiful  still  by  the  quantity  and  profusion  of 
roses  and  creeping  vines  it  contained.  A  mausoleum  con- 
taining the  remains  of  some  of  the  present  sultan's  relatives 
and  friends,  and  a  beautiful  marble  fountain  in  the  form  of  a 
temple  with  gilded  lattices,  complete  the  interesting  and 
beautiful  collection  in  the  suburb  of  Eyoub,  We  proceeded 
on  our  way  to  the  Sweet  Waters  of  Europe,  a  pleasing 
resort  for  the  haut-ton  of  Pera,  during  the  warm  season,  but 
such  places,  calculated  for  the  gay  throng,  have  always  a 
desolate  appearance  at  that  season  of  the  year  when  they 
are  deserted.  Here  is  a  mosque,  a  kiosk,  and  a  harem,  but 
now  all  shut  up  and  empty,  and  no  one  to  open  unto  us,  and 
so  after  walking  about  these  pleasant  haunts  for  a  short  time,, 
we  returned  home  again,  having  a  fine  view  of  the  city  as 
we  approached.  I  enjoyed  most,  the  sail  up  and  down 
the  Golden  Horn,  of  whose  beauties  one  can  never  tire. 
The  sultan  has  some  beautiful  ships  of  war  at  anchor  here, 
with  three  or  four  tier  of  ^uns,  fine  vessels,  but  no  sailors. 
In  the  midst  of  these  grim  monsters  of  the  deep  is  a  beau- 
tiful fairy  like  steam  boat  presented  by  Mehemet  Ali  a  short 
time  since  to  the  sultan.  It  is  as  gay  as  paint  and  gold  can 
make  it,  the  after  deck  hung  with  rich  hangings  of  green 
brocade,  (the  royal  color,)  trimmed  with  gold  lace  and  bul- 
lion fringe,  while  the  awning  in  front  is  crimson  silk  with 
the  same  rich  trimmings.  The  interior  of  the  cabin  is 
fitted  up  in  the  richest  style,  and  over  the  sultan's  seat  is 
his  name  in  Turkish  characters  set  in  diamonds. 


TUEKISH    WOMEN.  129 


Last  Friday  (the  Mahomedan  Sabbath)  we  went  to  the 
palace  gate  to  obtain  a  sight  of  the  sultan  on  his  way  to  the 
mosque.  From  the  gate  of  the  palace  to  the  corner  of  the 
street  opposite,  a  double  file  of  soldiers,  partly  composed  of 
a  band  of  fine  musicians,  were  drawn  up,  all  Turks.  As 
this  is  almost  the  only  opportunity  the  people  have  of  be- 
holding their  sovereign,  they  are  permitted  to  improve  it 
by  making  known  their  wants  and  grievances  through  writ- 
ten  petitions,  which  they  hold  up  as  he  passes  by,  and  which 
those  about  him  receive  ;  and  it  is  said  that  they  are  all 
noticed,  and  an  answer  returned  according  as  may  be  deemed 
expedient  by  the  higher  powers.  The  petitioners  ranged 
themselves  in  the  rear  of  the  soldiers,  and  afler  these  was 
a  crowd  of  lookers  on.  On  one  side  of  the  street,  on  a 
sidewalk,  a  little  raised,  were  some  thirty  Turkish  women, 
dressed  as  described  in  my  last,  nothing  to  be  seen  of  their 
faces  but  their  eyes  and  part  of  the  nose.  I  placed  myself 
in  front  of  these,  and  soon  found  by  their  laughing  and  chat- 
ting I  had  attracted  their  attention.  I  had  heard  that  they 
are  always  very  curious  to  examine  the  dress  of  Frank  la- 
dies ;  so  at  first  I  did  not  much  regard  them.  Soon  they 
began  asking  questions  of  the  guide,  wishing  to  know  if  I 
were  the  gentleman's  wife.  This  inquiry  was  perhaps  in- 
duced by  Mr.  C.  standing  with  his  arm  around  to  keep  me 
in  my  place  in  the  crowd. 

To  enable  myself  to  see  the  sultan  better,  I  threw  back 
my  veil,  when  directly  I  felt  some  one  behind  pull  my  man- 
tilla, and  press  my  arm  to  induce  me  to  turn  about.  I  had 
been  told  the  women  were  sometimes  a  little  wicked,  call- 
ing hard  names,  and  even  striking,  as  they  had  done  twice  to  the 
wife  of  one  of  the  British  ministers.  I  hesitated,  unwilling 
to  submit  to  such  indignity,  but  as  they  all  seemed  to  be 
laughing  and  chatting  very  good  naturedly  among  them- 
selves, I  ventured  to  turn  round  and^look  some  half  dozen 

6* 


J30  THE    SrLTAN. 

in  the  face,  whereupon  they  nodded  and  smiled  very  gra- 
ciously,  and  said  something  in  Turkish  which  I  took  to  im- 
ply that  they  were  gratified  with  my  humouring  them,  and 
they  wanted  nothing  more.      Presently  the  clock  struck 
twelve,  the  muezzin's  call  to  prayer  sounded  from  the  tall 
minaret  near  by,  but  the  sultan  did  not  obey  the  call  very 
promptly,  whom  all  were  on  tiptoe  to  see.     After  some  five 
minutes  or  more  there  was  a  flourish  of  music,  the  double 
file  of  soldiers  guarding  the  street  on  either  side  presented 
arms,  two  eunuchs,  black  as  ebony,  rode  past  on  handsome 
horses,  finely  caparisoned ;  then  came  some  officers  of  state, 
in  a  costume  half  Frank,  half  Turk,  followed  by  four  fine 
horses  with  their  rich  housings,  led  past.    The  music  ceased, 
and  all  was  still  as  the  Sultan  Abdal  Medjid  issued  forth  on 
a  splendid  black  horse,  recently  presented  by  Mehemet  All. 
He  is  a  young  man  of  twenty-three,  but  looks  at  least  ten 
years  older,  being  very  feeble  from  the  effeminate  and  indo. 
lent  life  he  leads.     To-day,  however,  he  looked  finely,  sit. 
tin.,  erect  onhishorse,carryinghimself  ashandsomely  as  any 
.oilier      If  in  good  health  he  would  be  decidedly  handsome, 
having  good  features,  and  fine  eyes,  which  he  fastened  upon 
us  as  he  rode  slowly  along,  while  we  returned  the  gaze  as 
earnestly.      His  dress  was  plain,  but  rich;  a  blue  frock 
coat,  of  which  only  the    collar,  richly  embroidered  with 
gold,  was  seen,  over  this  a  cloak  of  blue  cloth,  fastened  by 
a  clasp  of  precious  stones  ;  on  his  head  the  fez  or  red  cap, 
with  the  heavy  tassel  of  blue  silk,  which  is  worn  by  al  the 
soldiers,  and  on  the  front  of  his  own  cap  a  crescent  of  bril- 
Hants.     As  soon  as  he  had  passed,  the  petitions  were  taken 
by  the  ofiicers,  and  the  crowd  dispersed.     As  we  walked 
away,  two  or  three  of  the  Turkish  women. stopped  me,  one 
of  them  nodding  and  smiling,  patted  me,  while  I.  smiled  in 
return,  quite  pleased  that  I  had  made  so  agreeable  an  im- 
pression.     After  this,  we  took  a  walk  in  the  bazaars,  but 


THE    BAZAARS.  131 


they  did  not  strike  me  with  the  splendor  I  anticipated 
from  the  descriptions  I  had  read.  The  streets  here  are  all 
narrow,  dark,  and  filthy,  and  badly  paved,  and  slippery  with 
mud,  which  as  the  sun  cannot  penetrate  so  far,  is  never 
dry ;  and  then  they  are  completely  filled  with  horses,  don- 
keys, and  men-camels,  as  the  porters  are  called,  bearing 
such  huge  panniers,  that  you  can  scarce  squeeze  along, 
without  coming  within  an  ace  of  being  knocked  over  every 
minute. 

The  dogs  here,  like  New  York  pigs,  are  the  city  scaven- 
gers, and  allowed  therefore  to  increase  and  multiply,  and 
from  neglect  and  exposure  many  of  them  are  diseased  and 
mangy.  They  lie  stretched  along  by  the  houses,  sleeping 
all  day,  and  barking  and  howling  all  night,  to  the  great 
annoyance  of  new  comers.  This  is  what  you  have  to  go 
through  to  see  these  fine  bazaars,  or  anything  else  here  in 
fact.  Then  the  shops  are  small,  low,  and  dingy,  and  the 
keepers  always  sit  cross-legged  on  the  counter,  smoking, 
almost  too  lazy  to  wait  upon  a  customer.  In  addition  to 
this,  each  branch  or  department  of  trade  has  its  separate 
quarter ;  one  portion  being  devoted  entirely  to  leather,  be- 
side it,  in  vivid  contrast,  windows  glittering  with  diamonds — 
here  a  shop  filled  with  pipes  and  tobacco,  there  one  filled 
with  beautiful  silver  work,  or  rich  silks  and  embroideries, 
and  so  on  to  the  end  of  the  chapter.  Leaving  these,  we 
crossed  in  a  caique  to  Pera,  the  Frank  quarter,  and  our 
home,  near  which  is  the  place  where  the  dancing  Dervishes 
perform  their  singular  worship.  When  we  entered  they 
were  all  hard  at  it.  A  wooden  railing  encloses  a  space  of 
some  twenty-five  feet  diameter,  the  floor  of  which  is  pol- 
ished either  by  wax,  or  more  likely  the  frequent  rubbing  of 
the  feet.  They  are  a  sect  of  Mahometan  monks,  of  which 
there  are  different  orders.  Their  dress  is  very  singular. 
The  hat  is  of  drab  wool  or  felt,  of  a  high  conical  shape, 


132  DANCING    DERVISHES. 


without  a  brim.     The  color  of  the  dress  varies  from  dark  to 
pea-green,  and  from    dark    to    light  brown,  with  a  tight 
jacket.     From  the  waist  to  the  feet,  they  wear  a  full  bias 
skirt,  the  feet  being  bare.     They  were  eighteen  in  number 
besides  the  high  priest,  who  stands  on  one  side  on  a  carpet, 
on  which  was  placed  a  sheepskin.     Opposite  to  him  was 
the  orchestra  raised  about  the  height  of  a  man.     This  con- 
sisted  of  singers  and  instruments  that  sounded  like  a  tam- 
borine,  and  some  wind  instruments,  and  the  music  produced 
was  not  bad,  though  strange  to  our  untutored  ears.     The 
high  priest  had,  in  addition  to  his  cap,  a  green  cloth  wound 
round  it  like  a  turban,  and  shoes  upon  his  feet,  he  taking  no 
part  in  the  dancing.     The  dancers  were  in  two  circles,  one 
within  the  other,  all  dancing  at  once,  but  each  by  himself. 
Then  with  arms  held  high  in  air,  their  eyes  closed,  and  the 
most  grave  and  solemn  expression  of  countenance,  they 
commenced  turning  round,  not  at  all  unlike  our  waltzers, 
except  they  take  great  pains  to  turn  in  their  toes,  and  to 
put  one  foot  over  the   other  a  la  pigeon.     They  go  quite 
rapidly,  and  their  full  skirts  fill  and  stand  out  like  huge  fun- 
nels,  and  they  continue  thus  for  twenty  minutes,  when  at  a 
given  signal  they  all  stop— the  high  priest  addresses  them, 
or  says  something,   they  reply  bowing  three  times,  then 
kneel  and  kiss  the  floor  between  sentences  which  they  ut- 
ter,  then  rise  and  bow  three  times,  and  commence  whirling 
again  for  ten  minutes  more.     After  this,  one  of  them  called 
a  sheik,  delivers  an  address  for  five  minutes,  after  which  they 
place  themselves  in  a  line,  one  behind  the  other  before  the 
high  priest,  and  then  walking  up  one  after  the  other,  they 
bow  before  him,  kiss  his  hand,  and  receive  his  blessing, 
which  he  gives  by  putting  his  fore-flnger  to  his   lips,  and 
then  towards  them,  the   foremost  standing  a  little  on  one 
side ;  as  the  others  come  up  they  kiss,  and  give  the  blessing 
in  the  same  way  to  each  other,  till  all  have  gone  through 


DR.  woirE.  133 


the  ceremony,  which  ends  the  performance.  Then,  covered 
with  warm  cloaks  to  guard  them  from  cold,  they  depart,  and 
the  lookers-on  disperse. 

We  have  spent  one  day  in  sailing  up  the  Bosphorus  to 
the  Black  Sea,  but  this  is  too  beautiful  for  description.  I 
should  mar  its  beauties  by  an  attempt.  We  visited  on  our 
return  the  Sweet  Waters  of  Asia,  or  as  the  Turks  call  it, 
"the  Valley  of  Heavenly  Water,"  of  which  so  many  beau- 
tiful views  are  given  in  oriental  landscapes. 

To-day  I  have  been  to  hear  Dr.  Wolfe,  the  celebrated 
philanthropist  and  converted  Jew,  preach.  He  is  now  on 
his  way  to  Persia,  to  seek  out  two  Englishmen  who  went 
there,  and  not  returning  are  supposed  to  be  held  in  captiv- 
ity, perhaps  in  slavery.  I  spent  the  evening  at  the  house 
of  Mr.  Goodell,  the  Congregational  missionary. 

Yesterday  I  went  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown,  our  Charge 
d'Affaires,  to  visit  the  harem  of  AliBey,  or  rather  on  a  visit 
to  the  Pacha  himself,  though  the  harem  was  what  I  was 
most  anxious  to  see.  We  arrived  at  the  house  or  palace,  ex- 
tending a  long  way  on  the  shores  of  the  sea  of  Marmora, 
and  leaving  our  cloaks  and  shoes  at  the  entrance,  ascended 
a  stair-case,  at  the  top  of  which  was  the  eldest  son  about 
thirty  years  of  age,  (dressed  in  a  blue  frock  coat,  much 
braided,  and  the  trousers  and  fez  worn  by  all  the  Turks  of 
the  higher  orders.)  He  received  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  by 
shaking  hands,  bowing  to  us  as  we  were  introduced.  We 
were  led  across  the  ante-room  to  an  inner  one,  before  the 
door  of  which  was  a  drop  curtain.  This  was  held  aside 
till  we  passed  through.  The  Pacha,  a  man  perhaps  of  fifty, 
not  more,  met  us,  and  motioned  us  to  be  seated,  express- 
ing his  pleasure  at  seeing  us,  and  inquiring  after  our  health 
in  Turkish,  Mr.  B.  interpreting,  when  anything  was  said  to 
interest  us,  or  which  required  a  reply.  In  the  mean  time 
we  looked  around  and  saw  what  was  to  be  seen,  which  was 


134  VISIT    TO    ALI    BEY. 


not  much — the  houses  of  the  Turks  are  generally  furnished 
more  with  regard  to  comfort  than  show.  In  the  first  place, 
as  usual,  there  were  many  windows.  Three  sides  of  the 
room  were  lined  with  divans  or  sofas,  with  very  wide  seats, 
covered  with  light  chintz  covers.  The  floor  was  covered 
with  matting,  and  in  the  centre  was  a  brazier,  or  vase  of 
bright  copper,  with  ashes  and  coal,  which  made  a  pleasant 
warmth  in  the  room.  There  were  three  other  sons  in  the 
room,  the  youngest  a  beautiful  boy  of  eight  years  old,  dressed 
the  same  as  the  elder  ones,  save  that  he  wore  over  his  dress 
a  cloak  with  a  fur  collar.  We  had  not  been  long  seated,  (the 
Pacha  seating  himself  in  the  Frank  manner  beside  us,  his 
son  curling  himself  on  the  seat  of  the  sofa  opposite,)  when 
as  many  slaves  as  there  were  persons  present,  entered,  each 
with  a  long  pipe,  with  amber  mouth-pieces  and  arabesque 
ornaments,  all  filled  and  lighted,  and  presented  each  of 
the  gentlemen  with  one  ;  placing  at  the  same  time  a  little 
brass  pan  on  the  floor,  under  the  pipe-head,  to  catch  the 
ashes  or  any  fire  that  might  fall ;  they  then  retired  backwards 
to  the  door,  where  they  remained  standing  till  the  ceremony 
of  smoking  was  over. 

In  a  few  moments  we  were  invited  to  visit  the  ladies,  one  of 
the  sons  leading  the  way,  while  the  other  gentlemen  remained 
with  the  Pacha,  they  being  inadmissible.  We  passed 
through  a  succession  of  empty  rooms,  and  at  last  the  young 
man,  who  was  some  ways  in  advance,  stepped  forward,  and 
raised  the  curtain,  and  fort  a  issued  four  young  and  rather 
pretty  females,  who  came  forward  to  meet  us,  each  taking 
us  by  the  hand  in  turn,  and  bowing  as  they  did  so,  showing, 
however,  by  a  little  awkwardness,  that  they  were  not  much 
used  to  the  Frank  custom  of  shaking  hands.  In  the  ante- 
room, where  we  were  received,  there  were  a  dozen  or  more 
blacks,  habited  in  like  costume  to  the  ladies,  except  while 
the  dresses  of  the  latter  were  rich  silk,  those  of  the  former 


THE    HAREM.  135 


were  cotton — the  variety  and  brightness  of  the  colors,  with 
the  large  gay  patterns,  making  from  the  whole  assembly  a 
pretty  show.  After  the  ceremony  of  shaking  hands  was 
over,  they  stepped  aside,  and  motioned  with  the  hand  for  us 
to  enter  the  door,  through  which  they  came,  two  preceding 
us,  and  the  rest  with  some  of  the  slaves  following.  Not 
thinking  of  picking  my  steps,  I  was  all  at  once  brought  to 
a  stand  by  finding  myself  in  the  train  of  one  of  the  ladies' 
dresses,  but  stepping  back  some  two  or  three  steps,  I  extri- 
cated both  her  and  myself  from  the  dilemma,  delighted  that 
no  dire  misfortune  had  accrued  to  the  dress  of  the  lady,  who 
passed  it  off  with  grace,  leaving  all  the  embarrassment  to 
my  poor  self.  This  room  was  in  many  respects  like  the  one 
we  entered  first,  save  there  was  a  sort  of  pier  table,  on  which 
was  a  pretty  French  clock,  with  vases  of  artificial  flowers.  On 
the  walls  were  hung  some  Turkish  characters,  framed  like  pic- 
tures, being  verses  from  the  Koran.  The  ladies  seated  them- 
selves, two  on  one  side  and  two  on  the  other,  while  Mrs.  B. 
and  myself,  and  Mrs.  B.'s  pretty  Greek  maid,  who  was  to  be 
our  interpreter,  took  the  remaining  sofa.  Conversation 
was  carried  on  at  a  brisk  rate,  we,  however,  showing  more 
curiosity  than  they  did.  Two  of  them  were  habited  in  dark 
dresses,  two  in  light,  very  nearly  alike,  and  in  answer  to 
Mrs.  B.'s  questions,  we  were  informed  the  two  in  dark 
dresses  were  the  Pacha's  ladies,  the  other  two  his  eldest 
son's.  When  asked,  if  they  often  went  to  sail,  one*said, 
"  no,  never,"  she  had  never  been  out  in  six  years,  except  in 
the  garden  belonging  to  the  Pacha,  who  would  not  permit 
their  going  elsewhere.  In  two  corners  of  the  room,  by  the 
divans,  were  placed  on  the  floor,  a  sort  of  matrass  and 
cushion,  one  the  Pacha's  place,  the  other  his  son's,  who 
now  came  in  and  seated  himself  upon  his,  where  he  remained 
during  our  visit,  apparently  much  pleased  with  our  questions 
and   remarks,   laughing   heartily   at   times.      Coffee    was 


136  DRESS    OF   THE    LADIES. 

brought  in  by  the  slaves,  of  which  all  partook.  I  suppose  I 
must  say  something  of  the  dresses.  Their  heads  were  en- 
veloped in  a  gay  shawl,  turban  fashion,  their  hair  braided, 
and  drawn  through  the  folds,  some  of  it  hanging  in  loose  curls 
— their  eye  brows  were  stained,  and  joined  together  as  if  in 
one,  and  their  fingers  tipped  with  henna,  which,  I  think, 
has  a  pretty  effect,  though  I  cannot  say  as  much  of  the  beauty 
of  the  hands  Ihemselves.  They  had  a  muslin  chemisette 
embroidered  in  colors,  merely  fastened  at  the  throat,  and 
entirely  open  in  front.  Over  this,  they  wear  a  rich  silk 
dress,  the  waist  and  sleeves  perfectly  tight  and  plain,  the 
skirt  so  scant  as  only  to  go  plain  about  the  body,  open  in 
front,  and  at  each  side,  near  the  bottom,  open  full  half  a 
yard  ;  from  this  point  extended  the  train,  some  three  yards 
long  behind.  The  dress  was  of  very  rich  silk,  bordered 
with  a  rich  fringe,  formed  of  WTeaths  of  woven  flowers. 
On  their  feet  were  slippers  of  velvet,  embroidered  in  silver 
and  gold,  or  beautifully  in  pearls  and  colored  stones,  which, 
if  not  precious,  look  quite  as  well.  The  colors  are  red,  blue, 
purple  and  black,  with  immense  rosette  tassels  at  the  heels 
and'toes,  the  latter  being  very  pointed,  and  turning  up  some 
two  inches.  Full  trousers  of  yellow,  blue  and  pink  silk, 
completed  their  costume.  As  it  was  a  little  cool,  they  all 
had  quilted  silk  jackets  over  their  waist,  light  and  plain,  but 
rather  pretty.  When  they  seated  themselves,  they  tucked 
up  their  trains,  and  trousers,  too,  for  that  matter,  and  left 
their  slippers  on  the  floor.  Those  belonging  to  the  son, 
were  much  the  prettiest,  indeed,  were  quite  pretty,  and  had 
more  intelligence  in  their  faces  than  I  expected  to  find,  and 
behaved  with  dignity  and  ease,  instead  of  the  childishness 
which  I  had  been  told  the  inmates  of  the  harem  sometimes 
display.  They  next  asked  us  to  walk  in  the  garden,  which  was 
a  small  space,  with  high  walls,  and  overgrown  with  weeds, 
and  nothing  else.     We  were  shown  through  their  different 


TALE    OF   A    PACHA.  137 


apartments  and  the  baths,  all  devoid  of  any  thing  like  splen- 
dor, though  neat  and  comfortable.  On  our  return,  coffee 
was  again  handed.  I  forgot  to  mention  that  each  one  had 
an  infant  which  was  exhibited  to  us,  the  oldest  not  more  than 
two  years'  old,  who  dress  like  their  mamas,  long  trains  and 
all.  They  seemed  very  proud  and  fond  of  them — poor 
things,  it  is  all  they  have  to  love  or  amuse  them.  The  Pa- 
cha now  entered  to  announce  that  the  gentlemen  were  com- 
ing to  the  harem  ;  but  though  they  were  permitted  to  see  the 
cage,  it  was  not  till  the  birds  were  flown — the  ladies  being 
hurried  off*  to  another  apartment,  where  they  remained  dur- 
ing the  rest  of  our  stay.  We  sent  to  be  admitted  to  them, 
and  found  them  all  in  one  room,  looking  out  into  the  garden 
where  the  gentle  men  were,  taking  good  care,  however,  not 
to  be  seen  themselves.  We  remained  with  them  till  called 
to  a  repast,  prepared  for  us  in  the  harem.  We  took  our  leave 
of  them  here,  expressing  to  them  the  pleasure  the  visit  had 
given  us,  telling  them  how  happy  it  would  make  us  to  re- 
ceive a  visit  from  them  in  return,  and  to  be  permitted  to  show 
them  our  houses  in  America.  They  again  referred  us  to 
the  will  of  the  Pacha,  expressing  their  desire  to  visit  us. 

After  a  collation  of  sweetmeats,  sweet  cakes,  and  other 
confectionary,  which  the  Turks  have  in  great  variety, 
(accompanied  with  lemonade,)  we  rose  to  take  leave, 
havinsr  made  a  visit  of  about  three  hours.  The  Pacha  led 
us  first,  however,  to  his  conservatory,  where  he  had  quite  a 
collection  of  plants  and  flowers,  presenting  us  each  with  a 
bouquet,  and  taking  leave  of  us  very  kindly.  And  now  I 
will  tell  you  a  story  connected  with  the  dwelling  of  the  Pa- 
cha, as  related  by  Mr.  Brown.  The  former  owner  was  a 
Pacha,  who  had  a  slave,  whom  he  caught  exchanging  glances 
with  his  favorite  wife.  His  jealousy  was  roused,  and  the 
slave  dismissed,  who,  however,  succeeded  in  obtaining  ano- 
ther situation,  in  which  he  rose,  and  was  very  successful, 
but  the  hatred  of  his  former  master  pursued  him,  and  owing 


138  TURKISH    MODESTY. 


to  his  misrepresentations  he  was  again  dismissed.  This 
continued  again  and  again,  until  at  last,  in  want  of  bread, 
and  rendered  desperate,  he  one  day  followed  his  former 
master  on  his  way  to  the  mosque,  and  entering  with  him, 
stabbed  him  while  at  his  devotions.  The  slave  was  be- 
headed, and  the  property  of  the  Pacha,  (as  is  customary,  in 
such  cases,)  fell  to  the  sultan,  when  the  sultan  either  re- 
moves the  inmates  or  they  die.  This  was  given  to  its  pre- 
sent possessor,  with  a  good  pension,  which  I  should  think 
necessary  for  a  household  of  forty-three  persons.  Now-a-days 
they  do  not  cut  off  the  heads  of  those  in  office,  whom  they 
wish  to  be  rid  of,  but  send  them  to  distant  provinces,  and  at 
the  same  time  scatter  all  their  friends  and  relatives  to  prevent 
intrigues. 

To  give  you  an  idea  of  the  peculiar  modesty  of  the  Turk- 
ish and  other  eastern  ladies,  and  also  to  illustrate  the  freedom 
of  conversation  acquired  by  a  few  years' residence  abroad,let 

me  relate  to  you  a  story  told  byMr.  B.,  our  Charge  at , 

to  a  circle  of  acqaintance,  of  which  I  was  one.  He  said, 
that  while  sailing  with  a  friend  in  a  small  boat,  down  the 
Nile,  they  espied,  at  some  distance,  a  group  of  females, 
in  the  river,  who  were  clad  simply  in  their  chemises,  with- 
out veils  or  other  ordinary  coverings  for  the  head  and  face. 
Pleased  with  the  opportunity — one  rarely  afforded — of  see- 
ing them  unveiled,  Mr.  B.  directed  the  boatmen  to  proceed 
as  noiselessly  as  possible,  that  they  might  approach  them 
unperceived.  They  succeeded  admirably,  and  were  almost 
in  the  bathers'  midst,  before  being  discovered.  But  no 
sooner  were  the  intruders  seen  by  the  alarmed  females, 
than  anxious  to  hide  themselves  from  the  rude  gaze  of 
strangers,  they  threw  over  their  faces  the  only  covering  they 
possessed,  and  stood  blindfolded;  like  the  ostrich  who 
thrusts  her  head  in  the  sand  and  fancies  her  whole  body 
hidden. 


MALTA.  139 


LETTER  XV. 

LAZARETTO     AT     MALTA VISIT      TO     THE    MOSQUE      OF    ST. 

SOPHIA THE    SLAVE     MARKET THE      CISTERN      OF    THE 

THOUSAND    AND    ONE    COLUMNS CUTTING   CAPERS SER- 

ASKIEr's     tower MOSQUE        OF     BAJAZET PIGEONS  

MONUMENTS,    &;C. 

Malta. 
My  Dear  J. — You  need  not  be  under  any  apprehen- 
sion from  this  being  written  in  the  Lazaretto  at  Malta,  and 
within  quarantine  accommodations,  which  I  can  assure  you 
are  by  no  means  bad,  though  to  us  new  and  strange  ;  and 
if  the  ravenous  appetites  brought  with  us  after  a  week  spent 
on  the  Mediterranean,  together  with  being  sound  in  health 
and  sane  in  mind,  could  warrant  our  egress  from  the  strong 
walls  of  Fort  Manoel,  (where  we  are  in  admeasure  honora- 
ble  prisoners,)  we  should  be  exploring  this  rocky  Isle  and 
its  curious  forts  and  fortifications.  As  it  is,  we  are  not  sorry 
to  have  a  little  time  to  read  and  acknowledge  letters  re- 
ceived. I  must  take  you  back  again  to  Stamboul,  as  the 
Turks  always  denominate  their  city  of  the  sultan,  Constan- 
tinople being  the  name  usually  applied  by  the  Franks,  but 
it  is  too  much  of  an  infidel  cognomen  to  suit  the  Mussul- 
man. My  last  Avas  written  after  a  week's  illness,  which  of 
course  I  had  not  the  opportunity  to  devote  to  sight-seeing, 
but  when  I  giye  you  an  account  of  next  day's  explorations, 
you  will  admit  I  improved  my  time  to  the  utmost.  Unable 
from  indisposition  to  avail  myself  of  the  Firman  issued  on 
our  first  arrival,  and  fearful  there  would  not  be  another 
while  we  remained,  I  gladly  accepted  the  kind  offer  of  our 


140  THE    MOSQUE    01*    SOLYMAN 


Charge,  Mr.  B.,  to  accompany  us  with  the  "  Crevasse"  (a 
the  soldier   in   the   costume  of  former   Janizaries,)   who, 
armed  with  two  stout  pistols  and  a  cimiter,  act  as  guards  to 
the  several  legations  ;  each  having  one  or  two  who  serve  as 
protection  as  well  as  passport  to  many  places  to  which  we 
could  not  otherwise  gain  access.  By  a  little  after  ten  A.M. 
we  were  all   mounted,  five  of  us,  forming  quite  a  cavalcade 
for  the  narrow  streets  of  Pera  and   Stamboul,  directing  our 
course  first  to  the  most  splendid  of  all  the  mosques,  that  of 
Solyman  the  magnificent,  the   only  one  thought  to  surpass 
that  of  St.  Sophia  in  size  and  beauty,  which  last  when  fin- 
ished  by  Justinian  its  founder,  in  the    sixth  century,  for  a 
christian  church,  so  delighted  him  that  he  exclaimed,  "  I 
have  conquered  thee,  O  Solomon,"  thinking  the  temple  he 
had  lived  to  complete  exceeded  that  of  the  wise  king  :  while 
Solyman  might  exclaim  with  equal  justice,  "I  have   sur- 
passed thee,   O  Justinian."     A  description  of  this  splendid 
mosque  will  answer  for  all,  as  in  their  main  features  they 
are  all  alike. 

In  front  is  a  large  quadrangle  called  the  harem,  from 
the  fountain  always  placed  in  the  centre  where  the  faithful 
perform  their  ablutions  prior  to  their  devotions,  which  occur 
five  times  a  day.  These  marble  fountains  are  either  oblong, 
octagon,  or  square  in  form,  with  a  sloping,  indented  roof, 
and  much  ornamented  with  arabesque  carving,  which  is 
painted  and  gilded.  This  court  is  enclosed  by  a  colonnade 
supported  by  light  pretty  arches,  surmounted  by  small  domes, 
twenty-eight  in  number.  The  doors  of  the  mosque  have  a 
beautiful  arched  recess,  gothic  in  form,  but  with  Saracenic 
carving,  having  much  the  appearance  of  stalactites  sus- 
pended from  the  roof  of  a  grotto,  giving  an  unique  and 
pretty  effect.  Before  entering,  you  are  required  to  take  off 
your  shoes,  or  put  on  slippers  over  those  you  wear,  that 
nothing  impure  may  be  brought  within  the  sacred  walls. 


141 

A  heavy  curtain  hangs  before  the  door,  which  is  held  for- 
ward for  your  admittance  :  you  enter  a  spacious  temple  with 
its  lofty  and  numerous  domes.  The  walls  are  a  pure  white, 
the  Turks  allowing  no  pictures  or  images  in  their  places  of 
worship.  There  are  some  beautiful  specimens  of  Persian 
stained  glass  in  the  windows,  which  last,  though  small,  are 
numerous.  The  altar,  pulpit  and  praying  place  for  the 
sultan  are  of  white  marble,  and  there  is  a  beautiful  temple - 
like  enclosure,  specially  for  those  who  have  performed  the 
pilgrimage  to  Mecca.  From  the  vault  of  the  dome,  lamps 
are  suspended  by  wires,  so  long  that  they  nearly  reach  the 
heads  of  the  worshippers.  They  are  of  glass,  globular  in 
form,  and  in  every  variety  of  arrangement  and  color  ;  and 
intermingled  with  them  are  a  great  number  of  ostrich  eggs, 
having  some  astrological  meaning,  also  horses'  tails,  usually 
the  standard  of  a  Pacha  ;  but  why  placed  here,  T  know  not. 
Over  the  whole  floor  is  thick  India  matting,  which  prevents 
noise,  and  is  perfectly  clean  and  neat.  Within  the  altar  are 
numerous  candlesticks  as  large  as  a  man,  holding  wax  can- 
dles of  a  proportionate  size.  During  the  Ramazan,  (or 
Turkish  fasts)  which  last  twenty-eight  days,  and  at  which 
time  they  worship  during  the  night,  these  candles  as  well  as 
the  innumerable  little  lamps  are  lighted,  forming  a  beauti- 
ful and  brilliant  spectacle.  In  the  wall,  near  the  floor,  at 
short  intervals,  are  strong  iron  boxes,  where  the  Turks  leave 
their  money  and  valuables  when  going  on  a  pilgrimage  or 
long  journey,  having  no  banks  or  other  places  of  security 
for  them  from  fires,  which,  owing  to  the  houses  being  all  of 
wood,  are  frequent  and  extensive.  Around  the  whole  build- 
ing, near  the  floor,  is  a  stone  platform,  raised  about  half  a 
foot.  On  this  the  faithful  squat  themselves,  while  perusing 
the  Koran,  portions  of  which  are  read  daily,  and  these  are 
so  allotted  to  the  priests  of  the  different  mosques,  that  the 
whole  Koran  is  read  every  day,  it  being  one  of  the  requisi- 


142  THE    SLAVE    MARKET. 

tions  of  the  prophet  ;  and  it  is  not  unusual  for  the  followers 
of  Mahomet  to  know  the  whole  Koran  by  heart.  Children 
may  be  seen  learning  portions  of  it,  which  they  do  in  a  sing- 
ing, monotonous  tone,  bowing  themselves  towards  the  book 
placed  on  a  low  wooden  stand  before  them,  but  which  they 
never  touch,  Neai*the  dome  are  two  galleries  running 
entirely  around,  and  half  way  down  is  the  gallery  appro- 
priated to  females,  with  its  pretty  gilded  net  work  lattice. 
Pigeons,  for  which  the  Turks  have  a  great  fondness,  were 
flying  about  over  our  heads,  quite  a  novel,  though  pretty 
sight.  We  lingered  here  till  near  the  hour  of  prayer,  at 
which  no  infidel  is  allowed  to  be  present,  and  then  departed 
with  a  good  idea  of  the  exterior  and  interior  of  a  Mahome- 
tan temple,  which,  from  its  spaciousness,  as  well  as  loftiness, 
and  the  purity  of  all  within,  has  an  imposing  and  solemn 
efl^ect,  aided  by  the  utmost  stillness  and  total  silence,  arising 
partly  from  its  matted  floors  and  slippered  worshippers. 

Our  next  point  was  the  slave  market — a  large  square, 
cevering  perhaps  two  acres,  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  a 
range  of  low  small  rooms  for  the  captives,  and  a  few  in  the 
centre  for  the  buyers.  I  should  think  there  were  two  hun- 
dred of  the  former,  nearly  all  black,  and  all  females  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  boys,  the  females  being  enveloped  in 
veils  and  coverings  after  the  Turkish  custom.  There  were 
a  few  Circassians  in  inner  apartments,  but  these  are  gener- 
ally bargained  for  at  private  sale.  They  all  seemed  happy 
and  contented,  laughing,  chattering,  and  making  fun,  and 
anxious  to  be  sold,  as  their  treatment  and  fare  is  much 
better  after  than  before  that  event.  There  were  Turkish 
women  barganing  for  one  or  two.  They  are  allowed  to 
take  them  on  trial  and  return  them  if  not  satisfied.  One  lady 
was  chafiering  for  five  days,  not  content  with  three,  and 
another  came  to  bring  one  back  after  a  short  trial.  The  ob- 
jection was  that  she  snored  so  loud  that  the  mistress  herself 


THE    UISTERN    OP   COLUMNS.  148 

could  not  sleep,  and  as  she  wanted  the  slave  to  be  always 
near,  and  about  her,  this  was,  of  course,  a  fault  not  to  be 
mended.  Another  slave  was  taken  back  to  her  quarters, 
having  been  put  up  for  sale  without  any  one  offering  to  buy 
her.  Slavery  here,  however,  is  not  so  great  an  evil  as  with 
us  we  are  apt  to  imagine,  except  being  torn  from  country 
and  kindred,  which,  perhaps,  in  this  instance,  is  not  much 
regretted.  They  are  kindly  treated,  and  well  cared  for  ; 
often  adopted  as  children,  and  frequently  promoted  to  offices 
in  the  household,  which  entitle  them  to  authority  and  res- 
pect. The  Koran  requires  that  they  shall  be  freed  after  a 
term  of  seven  years,  and  the  Turks  are  proverbially  a  kind- 
hearted  people,  when  custom  or  policy  does  not  require 
them  to  be  otherwise — which  does  not  often  happen  in  these 
latter  days.  The  Circassians  sell  themselves,  or  are  sold 
by  their  parents*.  As  any  one  here  may  rise  to  the  highest 
rank,  family  having  nothing  to  do  with  the  matter,  they  of 
course  have  the  same  opportunity  to  rise  as  others.  The 
son-in-law  of  the  late  sultan  was  an.  instance  of  this,  and 
indeed  it  is  not  unusual  for  slaves  to  rise  to  high  stations. 

From  the  slave  market  we  went  to  the  cistern  of  the 
thousand- and- one  columns,  an  immense  reservoir  under 
ground,  the  roof  a  kind  of  brick-work  supported  by  a  double 
row  of  columns,  one  tier  above  the  other,  the  pediments  of 
the  upper  and  capitals  of  the  lower  row  coming  together. 
Half  of  the  lower  ones  had  become  buried  in  the  ground, 
two  hundred  and  twenty  four  in  all,  and  in  good  preserva- 
tion. They  were  supposed  to  be  the  work  of  Constantine, 
whose  name  we  were  shown  in  Greek  characters,  on  one 
of  them.  It  is  now  dry  and  useless  as  a  cistern,  but  is  occu- 
pied by  a  number  of  people  employed  in  spinning  and  twist- 
ing silk,  to  be  used  in  making  the  blue  tassels  to  the  fez,  or 
red  cap  worn  by  the  order  of  the  late  Sultan  Mahomed,  in 
place  of  the  turban  formerly  used  by  the  Turkish  soldiers. 


144  CUTTING    CAPERS. 


There  are  two  or  three  other  of  these  subterranean  cisterns; 
we  only  visited  this  one,  being  the  largest  and  most  inter- 
esting of  all.  But  the  pleasure  and  interest  was  much  di- 
minished, by  the  pale  and  sickly  looks  ofthe  people  moving 
to  and  fro  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth.  And  the  sound  of 
their  voices,  together  with  the  hum  of  their  busy  wheels, 
issuing  from  the  apertures  above,  made  to  admit  light  and 
air,  one  might  almost  fancy  to  come  from  the  realms  of 
Pluto. 

I  have  just  been  out  for  a  little  air  and  exercise,  which 
was  obtained  by  walking  up  and  down  and  around  the  bas- 
tions of  our  pleasant  prison,  and  I  could  not  refrain  from 
"cutting  capers."  But  which  capers,  lest  you  should  think 
much  travel  "  hath  made  me  mad,"  I  will  inform  you,  grow 
abundantly  on  all  parts  of  said  walls,  and  are  of  spontaneous 
growth  on  this  rocky  isle,  and  are  the  same  berry  brought 
to  us  pickled  in  bottles,  and  forming  so  good  a  sauce  to  the 
leg  of  mutton  of  which  J.  and  H.  are  so  fond.  I  formed  quite 
a  pretty  bouquet  of  these  and  white  fox  glove,  and  a  pretty 
flower  growing  in  clusters,  and  a  curious  plant  reared  in 
pots  by  us,  and  known  by  the  name  of  "  powdered  beau.'' 
This,  while  you  are  shivering  over  the  fire,  will  give  you 
an  idea  of  the  temperature  we  are  in — enjoying  the  sea-air 
coming  in  from  the  open  windows ;  and  when  called  to  dinner, 
I  think  you  would  have  been  delighted  with  the  dish  of  Maltese 
oranges,  with  their  fresh  green  leaves  and  stems,  and  deli- 
cious melons,  with  which  we  were  regaled  at  dessert.  But 
now,  instead  of,  as  the  French  say,  "  returning  to  our  mut- 
tons," let  us  leave  our  muttons  and  go  back  to  the  far  east. 

Once  more  breathing  the  free,  fresh  air,  after  visiting  the 
cisterns,  we  mounted  our  Rosinantes,  and  soon  found  our- 
selves at  what  was  formerly  the  Janizaries',  now  the  "  Se- 
raskier's  tower — a  title  with  us  equivalent  to  generalissimo 
or  commander-in-chief  ofthe  army.     The  tower  is  situated 


145 

at  one  end  of  a  large  square,  forming  a  fine  parade  ground 
for  the  troops,  and  is  white,  large,  and  lofty  ;  from  the  top, 
affording  the  most  extensive  view  of  any  point.  Here,  in- 
deed, the  whole  of  this  enchanted  ground,  with  its  fairy- 
land scenery,  was  spread  beneath  our  view.  On  our  right, 
the  sea  of  Marmora,  on  our  left,  the  Golden  Horn ;  while 
before  us,  was  the  Bosphorus,  all  opening  wide  their  sev- 
eral beauties,  the  shores  of  each  sprinkled  with  palaces, 
kiosks  and  innumerable  mosques,  with  their  clustered  domes 
piled  one  above  the  other,  and  arched  by  the  blue  vault 
above  ;  multitudes  of  tall,  white,  slender  minarets,  extending 
far  upward,  seeming  to  touch  the  heavens,  forts  and  fortifi- 
cations, walls  and  tall  towers,  both  ancient  and  modern ; 
fleets  of  merchant  vessels,  with  their  white  sails  spread  ;  im- 
mense war  ships,  with  their  threatening  ports ;  myriads  of 
light  caiques  bounding  over  the  waves,  intermingled  with 
which,  and  adding  so  much  beauty  to  any  scene,  here  are 
the  green  banks  forming  a  part  of  every  view,  along  the 
shores  of  the  different  waters  ;  the  houses  having  always  a 
back-ground,  formed  by  a  pretty  garden,  with  tall  rose- 
bushes, coi'ered  even  at  this  late  season,  with  a  profusion  of 
flowers.  Above  them,  rise  terrace  afler  terrace,  to  the  top 
of  the  high  ridge,  on  which  they  are  built,  ornamented  with 
a  species  of  pine,  called  here  the  terebinth — the  foliage  of 
a  bright  green,  of  a  peculiar  softness,  like  velvet.  In  vivid 
contrast  are  the  extensive  and  constantly  recurring  forests 
of  dark  cypress,  with  the  white  and  turbaned  tomb-stones 
gleaming  beneath.  From  this  height,  too,  you  look  upon 
the  palaces  and  gardens  of  the  seraglio,  extending  three 
miles,  which  are  very  beautiful.  Immediately  beneath  the 
tower,  a  regiment  of  soldiers  were  under  review,  and  a  fine 
band  of  music  regaling  us  with  martial  airs.  The  Turks 
are  said  to  be  very  fond  of  music,  and  to  exhibit  quite  an 
aptitude  to  learn,  having  for  the  last  fifteen  years  been  under 

7 


146  MOSQUE    OF    BAJAZET. 

the  instruction  of  a  brother  of  the  celebrated  Italian  compo- 
ser, Donizetti,  who  has  not  only  formed  a  fine  band,  but 
made  them  competent  to  instruct  others.  A  salute  was 
played  as  an  open  carriage  passed,  which  Mr.  B.  said  con- 
tained the  Seraskier,  who  drove  rapidly  by,  followed  by 
two  men  on  horses,  which  danced  and  pranced  most  gaily. 
We  descended  the  steps  of  the  tower  much  more  easily,  I 
assure  you,  than  we  ascended.  It  is  of  great  height,  and  is 
called  the  Fire  tower,  as  it  is  from  the  top  of  this,  the  alarm 
is  first  given  by  hanging  out  an  illuminated  balloon,  (similar 
to  those  used  in  the  good  city  of  Gotham  as  oyster  signs,)  in 
the  direction  of  the  fire,  without  any  sound  save  the  cry, 
"  yangoin  var,"  "  yangoin  var,"  (there  is  a  fire)  which  is 
caught  up  by  others,  till  all  are  aware  of  thefrighful  yet  fre- 
quent occurrence.  We  walked,  while  our  horses  were  led, 
a  short  distance  to  the  mosque  of  Bajazet,  which  is  remark- 
able for  the  great  number  of  pigeons,  some  say  ten  thousand, 
which  there  congregate,  owing  to  the  bequest  made  by  some 
pious  Turk,  to  be  applied  to  feeding  them  there.  Fortu- 
nately we  arrived  just  as  they  were  being  fed,  and  the 
ground  of  the  court  or  harem,  was  covered  with  this  beau- 
tiful species  of  the  feathered  tribe,  which  was,  indeed,  a 
curious,  pretty,  and  novel  sight.  After  walking  through 
the  corridor,  where  are  venders  of  perfumes,  scented  wood, 
Turkish  carpeting,  pipes,  &;c.,  we  again  mounted  and  rode 
to  the  Admeidon  or  Hippodrome,  a  large  square,  formed  by 
the  Emperor  Severus,  and  originally  much  larger  than  at 
present,  the  sultan  Achmet  having  appointed  portions  of  it 
as  the  site  of  a  mosque,  which  now  bears  his  own  name. 
Most  of  the  monuments,  which  formerly  adorned  it,  hav^ 
been  demolished  or  carried  away  by  the  various  conquerors 
ordespoilers  of  the  Byzantine  city.  Among  these  were  the 
four  famous  bronze  horses,  now  on  the  church  of  St.  Mark's, 
Venice,  cast  originally  at  Corinth,  carried  thence  to  Rome, 


THE    HIPPODROME.  147 


and  placed  at  the  four  corners  of  Hippodrome,  where  they 
remained  till  carried  by  blind  old  Dandolo  to  Venice,  from 
whence  they  made  a  visit  to  Paris  during  Napoleon's  sway, 
and  after  eight  years,  they  have  returned  to  their  former  sta- 
tion at  St.  Mark's.  Among  the  ornaments  remaining,  is 
an  obelisk  of  red  granite,  sixty  feet  high,  and  covered  with 
Egyptian  hieroglyphics.  It  has  a  marble  pediment  in  bas 
relief,  of  more  modern  date,  and  it  was  to  me  a  great  curiosity, 
being  the  first  Egyptian  pyramid  I  have  ever  looked  upon  out 
of  print,  though  this  is  rather  an  obelisk  than  a  pyramid. 
At  the  opposite  end  of  the  Hippodrome  is  a  tall,  square  pil- 
lar, composed  of  eighty-three  layers  of  blocks  of  stone,  which 
were  formerly  covered  with  plates  of  brass,  the  clamps  which 
fastened  them  still  remaining.  The  plates  were  filled  with 
Greek  inscriptions,  and  served  as  a  meta  in  the  chariot 
races,  which  took  place  here.  In  the  centre  between  these 
two,  is  the  celebrated  brazen  column  of  three  serpents  en- 
twined, brought  by  Constantino  from  Delphi,  where  it  is 
supposed  to  have  supported  the  golden  tripod,  in  the  temple 
of  Apollo,  on  which,  the  Pythoness  used  to  seat  herself  after 
bathing  in  the  Castalian  fount,  to  pronounce  those  oracles 
which  guided  and  directed  the  action  of  kings  and  warriors. 
All  the  heads  of  these  serpents  have  been  broken  off,  and 
carried  no  one  knows  whither,  even  if  they  are  in  existence. 
Not  far  off  is  another  called  the  "  burnt  column,"  from  its 
having  suffered  so  severely  from  the  effects  of  the  frequent 
fires  in  its  vicinity. 


148  BURIAL-PLACE    OF    MAHMOUD    II. 


LETTER  XVI. 

MAHMOUd's     mausoleum THE  BAZAARS PALACE    OF    THE 

SULTAN MADAME     JUSSIPPINI ADIEU     TO     "THE     CITY 

OF  THE  SULTAN." 

Malta,  Nov. 
We  next  visited  the  mausoleum  of  Mahmoud  II.,  the  late 
sultan,  in  appearance  a  palace,  of  white  marble,  with  gilded 
railings  and  lattices.  An  octagonal  temple  contains  the  re- 
mains of  the  sultan,  his  sister,  and  another  person,  who  are 
buried  beneath,  while  above  the  bodies,  in  a  room  hand- 
somely carpeted,  and  hung  with  long  narrow  pieces  of  stuff 
made  holy  from  having  been  awhile  in  the  temple  at  Mecca, 
are  huge  empty  coffins,  covered  with  crimson  and  purple 
velvet,  most  elaborately  wrought  in  gold,  and  over  which  a 
number  of  the  richest  Cashmere  shawls  are  thrown.  That 
of  the  sultan  is  the  richest,  having  at  its^head  the  fez  which 
he  wore,  ornamented  with  a  heron's  plume,  attached  to  it 
by  a  crescent  of  brilliants.  On  the  low  stands  at  its  head, 
are  placed  two  Korans,  most  brilliantly  illuminated.  The 
Turkish  characters  are  written  in  gold,  on  colored  satin-like 
paper,  and  otherwise  much  ornamented ;  one  of  these  vol- 
umes was  made  by  the  sultan  himself,  the  other  by  his  sis- 
ter, who  is  buried  here.  There  is  a  beautiful  garden  at- 
tached, with  pretty  fountains  in  the  form  of  temples,  and 
numerous  drinking  cups,  looking  like  gold,  though,  I  be- 
lieve, they  are  only  so  in  semblance.  We  finished  the  day 
by  a  ramble  through  the  bazaars,  where  we  were  some  two 
hours  much  amused  by  the  novelty,  variety,  and  richness,  of 
articles  presented.     It  is  certainly  a  singular  and  motley 


THE    BAZAARS.  149 


scene.     The  buildings  are  of  immense  extent,  with  narrow 
passages  running  in  every  direction,  forming  a  perfect  laby- 
rinth, covered  and  lighted  by  innumerable  small  domes,  most 
singular  in  appearance,  viewed  either  from  within  or  with- 
out ;  the  shops  arranged  on  either  side  of  the  passages  are 
very  small  and  low,  quite  the  reverse  of  fine.     There  were 
some  beautiful    embroideries  in  gold   and  silver  and  silk, 
Cashmere  shawls,  and  delicate  perfumes,  Persian  and  Da- 
mascus  silks,  mingled  with  all  sorts  of  English  goods,  made 
expressly  for  this  market,  with  their  large  figures,  and  bright 
gay  colors,  to  suit  the  oriental  taste.     The  prettiest  show 
was  the  slipper  bazaar,  containing  such  as  are  worn  by  the 
ladies  of  the  harem  and  seraglio,  of  velvet  embroidered  in 
silver  and  gold,  and  some  more  beautifully  with  pearls  and 
colored  stones,  such  as  I  described  in  my  last,  as  worn  by 
the  ladies  of  AliBey.     One  might  easily  lose  one's  self  here, 
and  I  think  we  should  have  been  unable  to  have  extricated 
ourselves  from  the  labyrinthian  paths,  but  for  Mr.  B.,  who 
seemed  perfectly  familiar  with   them.     This   finished  the 
day's  exploits,  and  taking  our  road  through  the  grand  ceme- 
tery of  Pera,  we  reached  our  temporary  domicil  at  five, 
P.  M.     As  through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  B.  I  had  been  pro- 
vided with  a  horse  so  gentle  and  easy,  I  did  not  feel  the  least 
fatigued,  but  passed  a  delightful  evening  at  the  house  of  the 
American  missionaries,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.,  where  I  met  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  O.,  the  latter  a  daughter  of  Dr.  S.,  of  New  York, 
married  to  Mr.  O,,  an  American.     The  next  day  we  sailed 
across  the  Golden  Horn,  accompanied  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H., 
took  a  walk  outside  the  walls  of  Constantine,    passed  the 
"Seven  Towers,'-'  and  an  immense  city  of  the  dead,  where, 
I  should  suppose,  a  million  may  have  been  buried.     In  it 
were  five  tombs  in  a  row,  marking  the  place  where  were  in- 
terred the  heads  of  Ali  Pacha,  (Governor  of  Albania,)  his 
three  sons  and  grandson,  beheaded  by  the  sultan's  order, 


150  SAIL    UP    THE    BOSPHORUS. 

and  their  heads  sent  to  Constantinople.  A  simple  stone 
with  its  turban,  is  placed  at  the  head  of  each  grave,  no  foot- 
stones  being  allowed.  We  passed  through  the  Adrianople 
gate,  and  turned  inside  the  walls,  by  a  road  parallel  to  the 
one  we  came,  which  brought  us  to  the  palace  of  Constan- 
tine,  the  habitation  likewise  of  his  successors  the  Christian 
emperors,  while  they  possessed  the  city.  Nothing  now  re- 
mains of  the  palace  but  the  walls,  within  which  a  number 
of  Jewish  families  have  built  their  dwellings,  and  through 
one  of  which  we  were  admitted  and  guided  to  the  top,  from 
whence  we  had  the  usual  beautiful  view. 

On  our  way  to  the  landing,  we  entered  a  Jewish  syna- 
gogue, and  into  the  church  of  the  Greek  patriarch  ;  but 
there  was  nothing  remarkable  in  either.  During  our  stay, 
as  I  have  before  mentioned,  we  took  a  caique,  with  plenty 
of  cushions  spread  on  the  bottom  and  sides  of  the  light  bark, 
and  seating  ourselves  on  the  bottom,  as  unlike  Turks  as  possi- 
ble, (for  in  the  space  which  would  only  seat  us  two  comfort- 
ably, four  Turks  could  have  been  well  accommodated  after 
their  fashion,)  prepared  for  a  sail  up  the  Bosphorus  to  the 
Black  Sea.  These  boats,  although  so  long  and  narrow,  are 
so  skilfully  managed  that  they  rarely  upset.  .  The  boatmen 
are  hardy  and  powerful  men,  and  the  hinder  oarsman  al- 
ways takes  upon  himself  to  blow  like  a  porpoise  with  every 
stroke  of  the  oar.  This. is  thought  to  relieve  the  chest,  and 
to  serve  also  as  a  guide  in  the  simultaneous  sweep  of  the 
oars.  Despairing,  as  I  remarked  before,  of  giving  you  any 
idea  of  the  beauty  of  the  scenery  of  the  Bosphorus,  "  all 
lined  with  palaces  from  sea  to  sea,"  (and  which  loses  none 
of  its  charms  by  familiarity.)  I  would  note  down  a  few  ob- 
jects as  landmarks  to  memory.  The  stream  is  just  so  wide 
that  you  lose  nothing  of  either  side  when  sailing  up  the 
middle  of  it.  It  is  one  continuation  of  villages  on  the  Euro- 
pean side,  each  commencing  where  another  ends  ;  palaces, 


THE    GIANT    MOUNTAIN.  151 

mosques  and  minarets  bordering  the  water's  edge,  to  which 
beautiful  terraces,  with  trees  and  flowers,  form  a  lovely  back- 
ground ;   kiosks  and  country  seats  crowning  the  knolls  and 
hill-tops  of  the  beautifully  undulating  ridge   on  their  side, 
while  lovely  valleys,  and  a  succession  of  beautiful  bays,  filled 
each  with  a  fleet  of  ships,  serve  to  diversify  the  scene.     On 
the  European  side  is  the  new  palace  of  the  late  sultan.    It 
is  of  wood,  painted  white,  with  the  exception  of  the  basement 
and  the   steps,  and  numerous  Ionic  pillars,  which  are  all  of 
white  marble.     It  extends  along  the  water's  edge  more  than 
half  a  mile,  and  is  certainly  the  most  chaste  and  beautiful 
palace  we  have  yet  seen.     The   Asiatic  side   has  always 
been  the  favorite  of  the  sultans,   and   has  more   palaces. 
There  is  one  opposite   the   new  one,  of  wood,  and  painted 
cream  color,  with  stucco  ornaments,  painted  white  ;  but  the 
gardens   and  terraces   behind,    of  which  we   had  a  view 
through  the  high  gilt  railing  and  doors,  looked  like  a  fairy 
scene  on  a  stage,  only  as  much  more  beautiful  as  nature 
ever  is  than  all  imitation.     There  are  also  numerous  palaces 
of  the  Pachas,  and  foreign  ambassadors ;  those  of  the  former 
having  large  gateways  of  wood  cut  into  various  pretty  and 
fantastic  forms^ — stars,  crescents,  musical  and  warlike  instru- 
ments, &;c.,  for  all  illuminations  on  fetes  and  grand  occasions. 
On  the  Asiatic  side  is  the  Giant  Mountain,  on  the  summit 
of  which  is  a  huge  grave,  twenty  feet  long,  where,  accord- 
ing to  tradition,  the  head  only  of  the  giant  is  buried  ;  and  that 
on  the  top   of  the  mountain  he  used  to  sit,  to  lave  his  feet 
in  the  Bosphorus.     The  Turks  pretend  to  say  that  this  giant 
was  none  other  than  Joshua,  the  son  of  Nun,  and  that  it  was 
on  this  mountain  he  commanded  the  sun  and  moon  to  stand 
still.     It  is  a  place  of  resort  for  Mahommedan  pilgrims,  ex- 
hibiting many  votive  offerings  in  the  shape  of  rags  and  torn 
garments.     We  had  a  great  desire  to  sail  upon  the  waters 
of  the  Black  Sea,  but  our  guide  and  the  boatmen  were  too 


152  BIRDS    AND    DOGS. 


timid  to  venture,  though  it  seemed  very  calm,  and  we  could 
only  prevail  upon  them  to  go  as  far  as  the  two  forts,  that 
guard  its  entrance  at  the  mouth  of  the  Bosphorus,  some 
three  miles  from  the  open  sea,  and  we  can,  therefore,  only  say 
we  have  seen  it.  On  our  return  by  the  Asiatic  shore,  (hav- 
ing ascended  by  the  European,)  we  stopped,  as  I  said  in  my 
last,  at  the  "  Valley  of  Heavenly  Waters."  We  met  on  our 
return  a  number  of  caiques  conveying  the  sultan's  ladies 
from  one  harem  to  another,  accompanied  by  black  eunuchs 
with  bastinodoes  to  keep  all  unwelcome  intruders  away. 
One  of  the  most  beautiful  features  of  these  water  prospects  is 
the  great  number  of  wild  birds  that  cover  every  sheet  of 
water ;  the  Bosphorus,  Marmora,  and  the  Golden  Horn, 
literally  teeming  with  beautiful  gulls  with  their  white  bodies, 
brown  wings,  and  yellow  beaks  ;  and  a  species  of  large  black- 
bird, and  some  smaller  ones  add  to  the  variety,  and  are  so 
tame  as  only  to  move  aside  for  the  pretty  caique,  floating  as 
lightly  as  themselves  on  these  lovely  waters.  The  Turks 
never  permit  a  gun  to  be  fired  among  them,  not  only  for 
their  protection,  but  for  that  of  human  life,  which  would  be 
much  endangered  were  indiscriminate  firing  allowed  so  near 
the  city  as  they  are  found. 

The  dogs  I  have  mentioned  before,  but  they  form  so  pro- 
minent a  feature  amid  the  many  novelties  that  surround  us, 
that  one  cannot  help  allowing  them  more  than  would  be 
elsewhere  their  due  share  of  attention.  The  Turks  are  too 
humane  to  destroy  them,  and  though  extremely  filthy  in  their 
dress,  have  still  so  great  a  regard  for  cleanliness,  as  never  to 
admit  them  within  their  domiciles.  Owing  to  this  doubtful 
humanity,  they  are  allowed  to  accumulate  to  an  excess  ex- 
tremely disagreeable,  for  they  and  their  litters  are  left  to 
take  care  of  themselves,  and  the  older  ones  holding,  as  they 
do,  the  honorable  posts  of  "city  scavengers,"  and  feeding  on 
all  kinds  of  refuse  matter,  become  some  of  them  diseased 


LAWS    IN    DOGDOM.  153 


and  dreadfully  disgusting  ;  while  others  drag  after  them  their 
broken  limb  or  limbs,  which  they  have  gained  by  being 
trodden  upon  or  run  over,  while  sleeping  all  day,  when  they 
should  have  been  watching.  As  for  the  young  ones,  no  one 
knows  how  they  get  on  in  the  world — you  may  see  them  lying 
in  bunches,  neglected  and  apparently  deserted,  and  they 
must  be  wise  pups  indeed,  if  they  know  their  own  mother ; 
for,  in  truth,  they  do  not  seem  to  have  any.  Thus  you  may 
see  them,  all  sizes,  lining  either  side  of  the  street,  each 
curled  in  a  heap  with  their  noses  wrapped  up  in  their  tails, 
and  as  soon  as  it  is  dark,  they  make  night  hideous  with  their 
baying,  howling  and  barking.  Each  troop  has  its  district, 
and  if  any  unfortunate  dog  strays  out  of  his  into  another,  the 
whole  fall  foul  of  him,  and  he  is  soon  made  to  know  his  place, 
and  find  it,  too.  But  they  are  not  as  they  have  been,  as  we 
were  told  by  an  old  resident,  who  said  that  when  he  first 
came  here  to  reside,  it  was  necessary  to  fee  them  by  throw- 
ing them  pieces  of  meat,  in  order  to  pass  safely  through 
them  ;  but  now  they  are,  like  their  masters,  broken  in  spi- 
rit, and  tame.  Some  of  their  battles  are  interesting  and 
amusing,  as  described  by  eye-witnesses,  and  it  is  astonishing 
what  a  host  of  them  (dogs)  will  collect  in  a  few  minutes  to 
see  a  fight,  and  take  part  in  it,  too.  But  the  metal  most  at- 
tractive  to  them,  is  a  carcass  of  some  animal  left  on  the 
landing,  like  to  the  body  of  a  poor  horse  we  saw,  and  which 
was  half  devoured  before  it  was  quite  cold ;  and  the  next 
day  nothing  but  the  bones,  white,  as  if  bleached  by  the  sun, 
(so  clean  had  they  been  licked,)  remained  to  tell  the  horrid 
tale,  and  the  horde  that  collected  at  this  place 
"  To  hold  o'er  the  dead  their  carnival, 

Gorging  and  growling  o'er  carcass  and  limb," 

was  really  frightful.  And  the  day  we  left,  I  saw  a  man 
standing  on  a  bank  above  us  in  the  midst  of  a  countless  pack, 
catch  up  one  of  them  by  the  tail,  and  turn  round  and  round 

7* 


154  A   TALE    OP    SORROW. 

with  him  till  my  head  grew  giddy  with  his  movements ;  then 
he  put  him  down  amid  the  yelling  clan,  and  lashed  them  all 
around,  making  them  yell  louder  than  ever.  Now  we'll 
throw  physic  to  these  dogs  if  you  like,  for  they  need  it 
enough,  and  I  will  relate  the  story  of  our  landlady,  as  she 
told  it  to  us,  and  which  I  doubt  not,  she  has  told  to  her  many 
boarders  ;  but  as  you  are  not  among  these  fortunate  beings, 
perhaps  you  will  like  it  even  second-hand.  Madame  Jussip- 
pini  is  a  Hydriote  of  that  little  isle,  "theVenice  ofthe  Egean," 
that  made  itself  so  conspicuous  in  the  Greek  revolution, 
being  in  fact  the  hot-bed  of  the  strife,  and  which  furnished 
so  many  heroes  to  Greece.  Among  the  most  disinterested 
was  Miaulius,  an  uncle  of  Madame  Jussippini.  Her  father 
was  a  ship-builder  for  the  sultan,  employed  by  one  of  the 
Pachas.  She  had  five  brothers,  some  of  whom  were  in  the 
Turkish  navy,  which  was  manned  chiefly  by  Hydriote 
sailors.  On  the  rising  ofthe  islanders,  his  family  were  im- 
prisoned, and  himself  put  to  death.  Soon  the  five  brothers, 
a  nephew  and  son-in-law,  were  beheaded,  and  one,  the 
youngest,  a  brave  little  fellow,  of  thirteen  years,  resisted  so 
stoutly,  and  fought  so  fiercely,  that  he  was  cut  and  mangled 
horribly  before  he  was  conquered.  They  then  went  t  o  the 
prison,  and  bade  the  mother  come  and  take  her  children. 
She  followed  where  they  led,  to  find  the  seven  heads  placed 
side  by  side  in  a  row.  The  poor  thing  went  wild  with  sor- 
row, and  they  even  tortured  her  by  showing  her  the  man- 
gled and  disfigured  face,  and  asking  if  she  knew  him  for  her 
son,  or  could  recognize  her  youngest  born  ?  To  end  the  tra- 
gedy, they  threw  her  at  last  from  a  steep  place  into  the 
water,  thus  closing  at  once  her  life  and  sufferings.  Madame 
Jussippini,  too  young  at  the  time  to  attract  notice  or  atten- 
tion, was  compassionated  by  a  Greek  family,  about  making 
their  escape  from  these  horrors,  and  was  carried  by  them 
to  a  small  town  on  the  Black  Sea,  where  they  remained  till 


ADIEU    TO    STAMBOUL.  155 

the  struggle  was  over,  and  all  things  quiet.  She  has  since 
lived  many  years  at  Constantinople,  has  a  son  married  to  a 
Greek,  and  seems  prosperous,  contented  and  happy,  and  is 
to  us  a  kind  and  hospitable  hostess.  She  is  a  fine  looking 
woman,  a  noble  specimen  of  the  Grecian,  as  you  will  say 
when  you  see  her  lithographic  portrait,  which  she  has  pre- 
sented me,  (taken  by  VVilkie,  the  celebrated  Scotch  artist,  now 
dead,)  and  to  which,  I  hope,  some  day  to  have  the  pleasure 
of  introducing  you. 

Our  many  friends  came  the  last  afternoon  of  our  stay  to 
take  leave  of  us,  Mr,  C,  the  British  consul,  who  has  been 
exceedingly  polite,  called  to  bid  us  farewell,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Holmes,  giving  us  a  letter  to  a  young  artist  at  Rome  ;  Mr, 
B.,  our  Charge,  with  one  to  our  consul  at  Malta  ;  Mr.  S,  the 
Episcopal  missionary,  to  the  Lord  Bishop  of  Gibraltar,  and 
Mr.  P.,  son  of  the  late  Commodore  P.,  one  to  our  Minister 
at  Naples.  Freighted  thus  richly  with  these  last  proofs  of 
the  friendship  of  those  from  whom  we  had  received  un- 
bounded kindness  and  attention  while  here,  we  bade  a  final 
adieu  to  the  city  of  the  Sultan  ;  and  now,  after  this  long,  long 
letter,  you  will,  I  think,  hardly  be  sorry  to  have  me  say  fare- 
well to  you. 


156  THE    DARDANELLES. 


LETTER  XVII. 

VOYAGE  TO    MALTA DANGERS    OF  SHIPWRECK SMYRNA 

THE  FIG  SEASON ISLE    OF  TENOS MOTLEY    PASSENGERS 

FORT    MANOEL ST.  PAUL's  VOYAGE. 

Naples,  December. 
My  last  letter  was  mailed  to  you  from  the  Lazaretto  at 
Malta,  and  like  all  my  communications,  of  a  retrospective 
character.  I  am  still  somewhat  in  advance  of  my  last  letter, 
and  I  will  therefore  retrograde  to  where  I  left  you.  This 
eastern  expedition  I  would  not  have  abandoned  for  all  we 
had  previously  seen,  or  are  yet  to  see  upon  the  continent. 
In  Greece  and  in  other  places  there  is  many  a  "  Mecca  of 
the  mind,"  to  which  memory  will  make  frequent  pilgrim- 
ages, and  which  I  shall  ever  rejoic6  at  having  visited.  The 
Byzantine  city  alone  would  amply  repay  us  for  the  great 
expense  and  unpleasant  encounters  by  sea  we  have  incurred 
on  our  way;  for  it  exceeded  all  we  had  anticipated,  and  I 
will  venture  to  say,  that  no  person,  however  vivid  their  im- 
agination, could  in  their  fancy  portray  anything  so  beautiful. 
In  short,  our  whole  excursion  from  Trieste  to  Naples  has 
been  through  a  perfect  paradise,  where  there  were,  not  one, 
but  many  Edens.  We  left  Constantinople  late  in  the  after- 
noon of  the  17th  of  November,  and  remained  upon  deck 
gazing  upon  its  varied  beauties,  till  darkness  rendered  all 
invisible.  We  were  at  our  post  betimes  in  the  morning, 
and  found  we  had  passed  the  Sea  of  Marmora,  and  nearly 
through  the  Dardanelles  ;  the  weather  was  cloudy  and 
threatening,  but  I  remained  till  we  had  passed  the  castles 


A    MAN    OVERBOARD.  157 

of  Europe  and  Asia  at  the  entrance,  looking  farewell  on  the 
plains  of  Troy,  with  its  seemingly  imperishable  monuments, 
the  mounds  of  Ajax,  Patroclus,  Achilles,  -iEsyetes,  and  of 
Antilochus,  which,  whether  they  be  the  tombs  of  the  several 
heroes  whose  names  they  bear,  or  not,  are  landmarks  that 
attract  the  eye  for  a  long  distance,  and  will  ever  rivet  the 
wondering  gaze  of  the  idly  curious,  as  well  as  of  the  lover 
of  classic  lore.  We  had  no  sooner  reached  Tenedos,  than 
we  were  forced  to  seek  shelter  in  the  cabin  from  the  rain 
which  had  commenced  falling — the  precursor  of  a  storm,  of 
which  ere  long  we  felt  the  full  effect.  By  five  P.  M.,  the 
wind  had  risen  to  a  perfect  hurricane.  I  secured  a  dish  of 
soup,  and  fearing  to  lose  it,  left  the  table  and  retired  to  my 
berth.  The  night  w^s  very  dark  ;  there  was  no  moon,  and 
we  were  sailing  under  a  starless  canopy — the  wind  blew 
furiously,  and  the  waves  dashed  over  the  bows  of  the  vessel 
at  a  fearful  rate.  The  captain  did  not  like  to  venture  in 
the  channel  between  the  island  and  the  main  land,  and  so 
took  his  course  outside  of  Mitylene,  which,  though  safest,  was 
to  us  the  most  uncomfortable.  We  had  been  in  our  berths  a 
few  hours  astonishingly  quiet,  too  ill  to  speak,  when  all  at  once 
there  was  a  bustling  and  trampling  upon  deck  ;  the  boat  was 
suddenly  still ;  loud  voices  were  heard  above  the  roar  of  the 
wind  and  waves  ;  then  there  was  a  rush  of  those  below  to  the 
deck  above.  Mr.  C.  got  up,  opened  the  door,  and  inquired 
of  the  maid  "  what  was  the  matter  ?"  "  A  sailor  had  been 
washed  overboard,  and  they  were  endeavoring  to  save  him." 
Poor  fellow !  he  with  another  were  doing  something  to  the 
anchor  in  the  bow  of  the  boat ;  a  terrible  wave  carried  them 
over — one  caught  by  the  anchor,  and  held  fast ;  but  the  other 
must  have  fallen  just  in  front  of  the  wheel-house,  and  was 
probably  carried  under.  Nothing  could  be  seen  of  him, 
and  it  is  most  likely  he  never  knew  aught  after  the  wave 
struck  him  that  bore  him  to  a  watery  grave.     This  was  a 


158  A    STORM. 


sad  beginning  to  a  stormy  night ;  there  was  no  sleeping  by 
any  one,  and  though  our  boat  proved  staunch  and  strong^ 
she  was  ill  fitted  to  keep  out  the  waves.  There  being  only 
an  open  brass-work  round  the  gangways,  over  which  at 
night  was  spread  a  tarpaulin,  there  was  nothing  to  prevent 
the  water  rushing  down  the  cabin,  which  it  did  at  times 
with  the  noise  of  a  waterfall ;  the  men  were  at  the  pumps 
all  night,  with  four  feet  of  water  in  the  hold,  and  the  waiters 
were  as  constantly  at  work  bailing  and  swabbing  in  the 
cabin.  One  poor  negro  woman  who  had  her  bed  near  the 
gangway,  on  a  sort  of  shelf,  was  so  deluged  with  the  water 
that  poured  in  upon  her,  that  she  was  nearly  drowned  be- 
fore they  discovered  her.  She  had  been  a  slave  at  Con- 
stantinople, and  as  her  seven  years  had,expired,  was  now  on  a 
pilgrimage  to  Mecca^lhence  as  a  missionary  to  her  people, 
to  preach  to  them  "  the  only  true  God  and  Mahomet  as  his 
prophet."  In  the  middle  of  the  night  a  wave  dashed  open 
our  port,  which  had  not  been  properly  secured,  and  deluged 
us  with  a  little  of  the  "  briny  sea."  It  ran  through  Mr.  C.'s 
cot  into  mine,  but  I  could  only  move  a  little  to  one  side.  I 
raised  myself  once,  and  reached  my  hand  to  the  floor  to  feel 
if  there  was  any  water.  I  found  the  carpet  wet,  but  we 
were  by  no  means  afloat.  I  could  do  no  more,  but  sunk 
back  with  sea-sickness,  and  thought  if  death  were  to  stare 
me  in  the  face  I  might  rise  to  meet  him,  or  to  escape  if  pos- 
sible, but  only  such  an  emergency  could  give  me  strength. 
I  thought,  too,  of  the  poor  sailor  so  suddenly  called  to  his 
dread  account,  and  breathed  a  prayer  for  his  soul,  and  the 
preservation  of  all  in  danger. 

The  morning  at  length  broke  upon  this,  to  us,  sleepless 
and  troubled  night ;  but  the  captain  finding  he  could  make 
no  headway,  put  into  a  little  port  on  the  north  side  of  Mity- 
lene,  where  we  remained  till  one  o'clock  at  night,  all  glad 
of  a  respite  from  the  tossing  and  tumbling  we  had  experi- 


SMYRNA.  159 


enced  for  the  last  twelve  hours,  and  all  complaining  of  head- 
aches and  lame  backs.     Byron  says  : 

*'  There's  not  a  sea  the  traveller  e'er  pukes  in, 
Throws  up  such  dangerous  billows  as  the  Euxine." 

I  have  only  been  near  enough  to  look  upon  the  Black 
Sea,  our  light  caique  being  too  frail  a  bark  to  tempt  its  tra- 
montane storms,  but  from  three  weeks'  experience  I  can 
vouch  for  the  waves  of  the  Mediterranean  being  sufficiently 
nauseating,  though  I  cannot  say  of  them  as  the  New  York 
skipper  did  of  the  Atlantic,  "  that  he  knew  every  wave  by 
sight ;"  for  in  fact  I  cannot  tell  one  from  another,  save  that 
those  seemingly  of  high  estate  wear  a  white  feather  in  their 
cap.  We  reached  Smyrna  at  mid-day,  but  the  twelve  hours 
we  were  wind-bound  was  the  time  we  should  have  passed 
here.  There  was  no  time  for  delay,  and  as  soon  as  the 
mails  were  in  readiness  we  were  to  be  off.  We  were  thus 
deprived  the  pleasure  of  dining  with  the  Dutch  consul,  as  we 
had  promised.  Very  few  of  the  passengers  ventured  to 
land  ;  but  Mr.  C.  being  bearer  of  despatches  to  our  consul, 
as  well  as  to  one  of  the  missionaries,  thought  it  necessary 
to  deliver  them  in  person,  so  he  hastened  ashore.  Those 
who  remained  on  board  were  by  no  means  at  a  loss  for 
amusement.  We  had  a  swarm  of  boats  around  us,  and 
•  pretty  boats  they  were,  too ;  they  are  sharp  at  both  ends, 
light  like  the  caique,  but  broader,  and  furnished  with  seats ; 
then  they  are  painted  with  bright  gay  stripes,  and  have  each 
a  pretty  flag  floating  at  one  end,  and  with  the  novel  and 
unique  costumes  of  their  Greek  and  Turkish  occupants, 
formed  a  motley  and  lively  spectacle.  One  of  the  latter, 
in  particular,  who  amid  some  difficulty  occurring  in  his  boat, 
lost  off"  his  turban,  and  whose  passionate  manner,  voice  and 
gesture,  were  like  those  of  a  maniac,  with  his  shaven  pate, 
long  beard,  his  red  and  almost  copper  complexion,  you  may 
imagine,  afforded  a  ludicrous^  picture,  causing  amusement 


160  THE    FIG    SEASON. 


to  his  own  people  as  well  as  to  ourselves.  Then  on  land 
was  a  scene  truly  oriental ;  a  multitude  of  camels  filing 
along  by  the  water  side.  We  were  told  that  three  hundred 
had  arrived  that  morning  with  their  load  of  sweets,  (this 
being  the  fig  season,)  to  be  shipped  from  this,  to  the  various 
ports  all  over  the  world.  A  gentleman  has  described  to 
me  a  part  of  the  process  of  packing  the  figs,  no  doubt  with 
the  idea  that  they  would  ever  after  taste  more  sweet.  He 
says  the  women  and  girls  all  congregate  around  a  pile  of 
the  fruit,  and  first  spitting  on  their  hands,  place  a  fig  on  one 
hand,  then  pat  it  with  the  other,  giving  it  the  impress  of  their 
pretty  palms,  which  they  retain  until  received  into  our  own. 
I  read  lately  a  ludicrous  account  of  a  traveller  who  had  taken 
his  passage  in  a  vessel  laden  with  figs,  and  at  night  quietly 
ensconced  himself  in  his  berth,  where  he  had  not  remained 
long,  ere  he  felt,  as  he  thought,  all  manner  of  creeping 
things  passing  over  him.  He  called  out  lustily  for  a  light, 
which  the  cabin-boy  brought,  with  a  grin  on  his  face,  as  if 
anticipating  the  summons.  The  gentleman  took  the  light 
to  examine  his  quarters,  when,  lo  and  behold !  suspended 
from  above,  and  filling  every  crevice  around,  were  myriads 
of  white  worms  near  an  inch  long.  He  inquired  of  the 
boy  the  meaning  of  this,  who  replied,  "  they  were  worms 
from  the  figs,  that  they  didn't  hurt  any,  they  only  tickled 
some."  The  gentleman  profited  by  the  experience  of  this 
voyage,  resolving  never  to  be  caught  in  any  craft  during  the 
fig  season.  I  was  writing  in  the  cabin,  when  an  English 
gentleman  came  to  tell  me  that  the  American  flag  was 
waving  over  the  consul's  mansion,  in  honor  of  Mr.  C.'s 
visit.  My  heart  bounded,  and  so  did  my  feet  as  quickly, 
and  I  was  soon  on  the  deck,  gazing  upon  its  beautiful  "  stars 
and  stripes,"  and  I  felt  well  assured  in  that  moment,  that  no 
country  in  the  world  could  ever  supplant  my  own  dear  land 
in  my  first  af^^ctions.     Indeed,  I  even  found  myself  the  other 


VOYAGE  FROM  SMYRNA.  161 

day  longing  after  the  "flesh  pots  of  Egypt."  I  was  so  sur- 
feited with  the  rich  made  dishes  of  French  and  German 
cookery,  that  I  began  thinking  over  the  plainer  ones  of 
dear  New  England,  an  enumeration  that  would  excite  your 
risibles,  and  is  re  ally  too  ridiculous  to  give  ;  but  if  you  could 
have  seen  with  what  a  gusto  I  paid  my  "  devoirs"  to  a  dish 
of  bacon  and  beans,  the  first  day  of  our  landing,  you  would 
say  there  was  little  danger  of  my  being  spoiled  abroad. 
For  myself,  I  am  more  and  more  convinced  that  I  shall  be 
no  way  inclined  to  follow  Rosalind's  advice  :  "  Farewell, 
Monsieur  Traveller  ;  look,  you  lisp,  and  wear  strange  suits  ; 
disable  all  the  benefits  of  your  country;  be  out  of  love  with 
your  nativity,  and  almost  chide  God  for  making  you  that 
countenance  you  are,  or  I  shall  scarce  think  you  have  swam 
in  a  gondola." 

We  left  Smyrna  at  three  P.  M.,  the  sea  tolerably  smooth, 
but  the  weather  not  altogether  settled.  In  the  evening  we  had 
a  shower,  accompanied  with  thunder  and  lightning. 

It  was  the  captain's  intention  to  have  gone  inside  the 
island  of  Scio.  This  was  much  the  shorter  way,  and  being 
protected  on  either  side  by  land,  would  have  been  much 
smoother,  and  of  course  more  agreeable  ;  but  the  pilot,  who 
had  been  ashore  at  Smyrna  to  see  his  son,  had  tasfed  too 
deeply  of  the  "  doch  and  dorrich,"  and  quite  unfitted  him- 
self to  guide  us  through  the  narrow  and  perilous  straits. 
He  made  the  attempt,  however,  and  came  very  near  run- 
ning upon  a  point  of  land,  where,  as  the  captain  said,  noth- 
ing could  have  saved  us.  Finding  the  pilot  utterly  incapa- 
ble, he  retraced  his  steps,  and  went  outside  in  the  open  sea, 
keeping  the  deck  all  night  himself.  The  next  morning  it 
was  cloudy  and  unpleasant,  and  though  at  times  rainy,  on 
the  distant  hill-tops  of  the  Asiatic  shore,  the  sun  shone 
brightly  down  between  the  dark  shadows  of  the  heavy 
clouds.     At  one  point  a  fleecy  fringe  fell  from  the  clouds 


162  THE    TOWN    OP    SYRA. 


upon  the  mountain  top,  while  a  soft  rich  coloring  was  over 
all  below,  and  the  effect  was  very  beautiful.  At  one  P.  M., 
we  passed  very  near  the  Isle  of  Tenos  ;  on  our  left,  far  in 
the  distance,  was  Delos.  On  the  former,  we  counted  on 
the  mountains,  on  the  hill-sides,  and  ifi  the  valleys,  no  less 
than  seven  large  villages  in  sight  at  one  time.  The  houses 
seemingly  of  chalk  or  plaster,  white  as  new-fallen  snow, 
and  built  in  the  eastern  manner,  square,  with  the  roofs 
perfectly  flat  and  smooth,  which  in  summer  are  terraced 
and  formed  into  pretty  artificial  gardens,  and  clustered  to- 
gether as  they  were  upon  the  hill-sides,  looked  in  the  dis- 
tance not  unlike  flocks  of  sheep  browsing  on  the  vejjdure 
that  covered  them  from  base  to  summit.  To  add  to  this 
picturesque  view,  might  be  seen  here  a  small  but  pretty 
mosque,  with  its  tall  minaret  and  gilded  crescent,  and  there 
an  equally  beautiful  Greek  church,  with  its  high  gothic  tower 
surmounted  by  the  holy  cross,  pointing  like  a  finger  upward 
towards  the  heavens,  and  one  high  pyramidal  hill,  with  its 
old  fortress,  seeming  the  acropolis  of  the  town  it  protected, 
and  to  which  it  formed  so  fine  a  back-ground .  At  three  P.  M., 
we  anchored  once  again  in  front  of  the  town  of  Syra,  which 
looked  as  beautiful  as  when  it  first  greeted  our  admiring 
eyes.  It  was  once  a  bare  rock  rising  out  of  the  sea,  and 
has  been  settled  and  built  by  refugees  from  various  places 
destroyed  during  the  Greek  revolution,  who  fled  here  with 
only  the  clothes  they  wore,  and  their  hands  to  work  with. 
It  is  now  a  large,  flourishing  place.  A  multitude  of  wind- 
mills, round  stone  towers,  with  their  thin  transparent  arms 
whirled  rapidly  round  by  the  strong  wind  that  was  blowing 
at  the  time,  might  be  seen  covering  every  hill-top  and  rising 
ground  in  all  directions,  while  along  the  sea-side  I  counted 
eleven  vessels  on  the  stocks  in  different  stages  of  progress, 
and  most  of  them  of  a  large  size.  This,  with  the  rapid  clink 
of  the  hammer  borne  to  us  over  the  water,  betokened  a  busy 


OUR  DEPARTURE.  163 


and  thriving  population.     The  houses  are  built  upon  the 
sides  of  two  high  hills  that  slope  down  to  the  water's  edge, 
and  are  ranged  tier  above  tier,  nearly  to  the  top.    Just  back 
of  the  valley,  between  the  two  hills  that  front  the  sea,  rises 
another  cone-like  mound,  also  covered  with  houses,  and  sur- 
mounted by  a  pretty  church,  filling  up  the  gap  most  beauti- 
fully.    We    were  told  that  there   are  at  the  back  of  the 
town  (according  to  the  record  for  taxes)  more  than  two 
thousand  gardens  ;  from  the  water,  however,  these  are  not 
seen,  and  all  appears  one  glare  of  white.     A  number  of 
vessels  in  the  harbor  had  the  suspicious  yellow  flag  floating 
from  their  masts,  denoting  them  as  coming  from  the  suspected, 
though  at  present  not  infected  district,  the  East,  and  as  be- 
ing in  quarantine  like  ourselves,  who  were  under  the  same 
ban.     This  of  course  prohibited  landing.     We  parted  here 
with  regret  from  nearly  all  our  English  passengers,  (a  party 
of  five  who  were  going  to  Alexandria,)  as  well  as  with  all 
our  orientals,  Turks,  Greeks,  and  Arabs.     The  last  I  cannot 
say  I  was  favorably  impressed  with.     They  certainly  had  to 
me  an  expression  decidedly  fiendish,  and  a  la  cannibal.  One 
in  particular  grinned  such  a  horrid  ghastly  smile,  as  made 
me  shudder.     Much  to  our  satisfaction,  we  remained  sta- 
tionary till  dinner  was  over,  and  at  seven  moved  off*.     Syra, 
as  we  left,  was  brilliant  with  the  innumerable  lights  scattered 
over  its  upper  and  lower  town  ;  which,  with  its  white  houses 
gleaming  in  the  darkness,  had  a  magical  effect.     A  youth- 
ful Miss  Moon  was  admiring  her  pretty  face  in  the  smooth 
waters,  and   coquetting  with  the  waves  that   raised  them- 
selves to  meet,  and  glistened  with,  the  brightness  of  her 
smile,  while  the  whole  expanse  above  was 
*'  Bespangled  with  those  isles  of  light, 
So  darkly,  spiritually  bright." 

We  had  a  quiet,  comfortable  night,  and  though  at  day-break 
it  rained  violently,  the  sun  came  out  bright  and  clear  ;  the 


164  CAPE    MATAPAN. 


decks  were  soon  dry,  and  looked  white  and  nice  ;  the  brass 
ornaments  which  were  in  profusion,  were  cleaned,  and  for 
the  first  time  since  we  had  been  on  board,  glittered  in  the 
sunshine.  We  had  a  good  run  for  fifteen  hours,  then  the 
wind  changed,  though  the  weather  was  still  pleasant.  We 
passed  this  day  Cape  Malea  and  the  island  of  Cerigo,  cele- 
brated as  the  birthplace  of  Helen,  and  as  one  of  the  haunts 
of  Venus,  where  was  a  temple  erected  to  her.  .We  could 
distinguish  the  ruins  and  columns  of  one  as  we  passed,  but 
there  is  no  certainty  as  to  whom  it  was  erected. 

"  There  is  a  temple  in  ruin  stands, 
Fashioned  by  long  forgotten  hands ; 
Two  or  three  columns,  and  many  a  stone, 
Marble  and  granite  with  grass  o'ergrown  ;" 

and  that  is  all.     "  Out  upon  time"  that  cheats  us  so. 

After  this,  we  rounded  Cape  Matapan,  the  most  southern 
point  of  the  Peloponessus,  and  then  took  our  last  look  of 
Greece.     We  saw  many  pretty  villages  situated  upon  the 
slopes   and  hills  of  the   cape,  and  passed  and  left  behind 
several  sail  vessels  that  were  rocking  and  tossing  in  a  man- 
ner not  at  all  enviable.     An  hour  after,  we  passed  the  gulf' 
where  was  fought  the  memorable  battle  of  Navarino,  Oct. 
20th,    1827,  which   terminated  the  Greek  war,    and  took 
Greece  from   the  Ottoman  power.     The  harbor  is  shut  in 
by  an  island,  the  ancient  Sphacteria,  famous  for  the  signal 
defeat  the  Spartans  sustained  here  from  the  Athenians,  and 
also  as  the  scene  of  Byron's  Corsair.     Within  the  walls  of 
the  ancient  fortress  which  surmounts  the  promontory  above 
the  town,  was  killed  the  gallant  Count  Santa  Rosa,  a  Pied- 
montese  refugee,  August,  1825,  and  his  tomb,  with  that  of 
young  Lucien  Bonaparte,  are  shown  on  the  island  of  Sphac- 
teria.    Leaving  these  islands  and  the  rocky  heights  of  the 
peninsula,  we  saw  no  more  of  land,  the  wind  became  more 
and  more  adverse,  and  by  five  o'clock  was  quite  sickening. 


A   SUNSET.  165 


I  succeeded,  hov/ever,  in  remaining  at  table,  and  was  much 
the  better  for  my  dinner.  An  empty  stomach  is  a  great  aid 
to  sea-sickness  ;  a  full  one  I  often  find  a  preventive.  I  sat 
upon  deck  all  of  the  following  day  with  my  book  and  "  ever-^ 
lasting  worsted  work  ;"  no  land  in  sight,  our  prospect  was 
extensive,  for  it  was  over  a  boundless  sea,  the  air  was  soft 
and  pleasant,  but  I  was  wishing  for  land,  which  was  to  bring 
letters  ;  so  the  day  seemed  tediously  long.  About  four  I 
went  below,  but  had  not  been  long  there  when  I  was  called 
to  come  up  and  see  the  sun  set.  I  had  been  wishing  the 
"Weather  would  admit  of  seeing  a  fine  sunset  on  the  Mediter- 
ranean. So  I  hastened  up,  and  the  west  was  truly  gorgeous 
with  the  blaze  of  living  light  of  the  all-glorious  sun.  It  was 
not,  however,  an  unclouded  blaze  ;  there  were  clouds  above 
and  around,  but  this  rather  added  to  than  detracted  from  the 
exceeding  splendor  of  the  magnificent  scene,  for  each  and 
every  one  was  lighted  and  colored  by  the  brilliancy  of  the 
departing  rays  ;  and  as  the  twilights  are  of  very  short  dura- 
tion, the  majestic  orb  seemed  to  drop  at  once  into  the  blue 
waters  beneath,  whilst  the  brilliancy  of  the  hues  above 
passed  in  quick  and  constant  succession,  almost  in  a  glance, 
till  in  a  few  moments  both  sky  and  water  were  enveloped 
in  night's  dusky  mantle,  and  all  was  sombre  grey.  Ere 
long,  the  clouds  which  had  been  hovering  about  the  sun 
brought  upon  us  a  shower ;  but  notwithstanding  this,  our 
eyes  w^ere  gladdened  in  the  morning  by  the  prospect  of 
another  day  of  sunshine.  The  major  called  out  to  us  from 
the  gangway,  "  land  ahead,"  always  a  cheering  sound. 
We  hastened  to  pack  our  loose  articles  and  have  all  in  rea- 
diness to  debark,  and  nothing  to  do  on  our  approach  but  gaze 
upon  the  unique  and  beautifully  fortified  island,  made  so  fa- 
mous in  former  ages  by  the  Knight  Templars  of  St.  John. 
We  seemed  to  be  still  in  the  open  sea  ;  the  land  looked  like 
a  blue  haze  in  the  distance.     Nought  met  the  view  save  the 


166  ST.  Paul's  voyage. 

numerous  sail  which  dotted  the  horizon,  accumulating  rap- 
idly as  we  neared  our  harbor.*  Soon  the  barren  and  rocky- 
coasts  of  Malta  were  visible,  beautified  by  the  verdure  of 
^,its  Sicilian  soil,  and  as  we  drew  near  and  more  near,  we 
could  not  but  be  struck  with  wonder  and  admiration  at  the 
extent  and  grandeur  of  its  lofty  and  massive  fortifications, 
that  have  so  long  withstood  the  attacks  of  war  and  the 
ravages  of  time,  and  are  yet  seemingly  as  entire  and  per- 
fect as  when  first  created.  They  are  built  of  a  hard  lime- 
stone, which  has  gradually  assumed  a  creamy  whiteness, 
giving  a  softness  and  delicacy  extremely  pleasing  to  the  eye. 
We  had  scarce  taken  possession  of  our  apartments  in  Fort 
Manoel,  ere  we  were  visited  by  the  guardians,  who  required 
of  us  to  take  everything  out  of  our  trunks,  bags  and  boxes, 
and  spread  them  on  wooden  frames,  given  us  for  the  pur- 
pose. The  next  morning  another  came  to  see  that  it  was 
done,  and  to  place  his  hands  on  each  article,  to  imbibe  any 
infection  they  might  contain ;  after  this,  we  were  left  to 
amuse  ourselves  as  we  could  best  find  ways  and  means.  I 
took  my  Bible,  turned  to  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  read 
from  the  twenty-third  to  the  twenty-eighth  chapter,  where 
is  given  the  account  of  St.  Paul's  being  made  prisoner  at 
Jerusalem,  his  appeal  as  a  Roman  to  Caesar,  his  speech 
before  Agrippa,  and  his  voyage  from  Cesarea,  and  his  ship- 
wreck on  the  island  of  Melita,  every  word  of  which  seems 
so  much  more  impressive  after  following  as  we  have  done 
his  track  along  the  sea. 

I  had  just  finished  reading  it  aloud  to  Mr.  C  when  Major 
G.  came  in.  I  gave  the  book  to  him.  He  retired  to  his 
room  with  it,  and  when  he  returned  said,  "  I  think  an  infidel 
could  not  but  believe,  if  he  travelled  over  these  places,  and 
read  as  he  went."  It  seems  easy  for  a  believer  to  believe, 
but,  alas,  the  infidel  will  doubt.  After  this,  I  amused  myself 
gazing  out  upon  the  prospect  afforded  from  my  window  and 


167 

the  open  corridor  adjoining  our  apartments.  On  our  left  was 
a  small  but  safe  and  pretty  harbor,  where  vessels  from  the 
north  flee  for  shelter  from  the  coming  storm,  guarded  on  one 
side  by  Fort  Tighe,  and  on  the  other  by  our  residence.  Fort 
Manoel.  These  also  guard  the  quarantine  harbor  on  our 
right,  which  we  look  down  upon  from  the  bastions,  and  can 
almost  grasp  the  yellow  flags  that  are  fluttering  from  the 
masts  of  the  many  vessels  lying  quietly  in  its  basin.  On  a 
point  in  front  of  this  is  the  Castle  St.  Elmo,  which  has  taken 
so  prominent  a  part  in  the  various  sieges  of  the  island.  Ves- 
sels of  all  kinds,  and  from  all  countries,  are  constantly  pass- 
ing and  repassing,  and  it  is  delightful  to  watch  the  huge 
waves,  way  off*  in  the  open  sea,  and  see  them  roll  onward 
till  they  dash  and  break  themselves  where — 

The  rock  unworn  its  base  doth  bare. 

And  the  fringe  of  the  foam  is  seen 

On  the  line  left  ages  long  ago. 


168  ISLAND    OP   MALTA. 


LETTER  XVIII. 

VALETTA     CHURCHES CASTLE     BELLS SICKNESS     OP    THE 

ARCHBISHOP PROCESSION AN     EXCURSION SCENE      OF 

ST,  Paul's  shipwreck. 

Naples,  Dec. 
While  in  quarantine,  I  could  only  give  you  a  little 
insight  obtained  from  our  windows  of  this  interesting  island. 
Between  our  egress  from  Fort  Manoel,  and  our  departure  in 
the  steamer,  we  had  three  entire  days  in  which  we  were 
enabled  to  witness  the  most  curious  objects  and  places,  in  the 
vicinity  and  environs  of  Valetta,  the  modern  capital  of  the 
island.  The  island  itself,  when  taken  possession  of  by  the 
knights  of  St.  John,  was  a  bed  of  barren  rocks  just  rising 
from  the  sea  ;  (I  had  ever  imagined  it  a  high  rocky  cliff, 
not  a  Gibraltar  exactly,  but  still  somewhat  of  a  natural  for- 
tress in  itself;)  but  through  the  instrumentality  of  the  inde- 
fatigable knights,  it  was  covered  and  enriched  with  the 
fruitful  soil  of  Sicily,  ^o  that  now  the  irregularities  of  its 
rocky  surface  are  entirely  covered  with  beautiful  and  ver- 
dant terraces,  rising  one  above  the  other,  throughout  the 
island ;  the  only  trees  visible  in  any  part,  are  the  groves  of 
olive,  fig  and  orange,  which  of  course  are  cultivated,  not  in- 
digenous. The  ancient  capital,  Notabili,  the  Medina  of  the 
Sarecens,  now  Cita  Vecchia,  (or  old  city,)  is  eight  miles 
back  of  Valetta  and  of  the  sea.  It  was  formerly  the  resi- 
dence of  the  knights  till  the  foundation  of  Valetta  by  the 
grand  master.  La  Valette,  the  year  after  the  famous  siege 
of  Solyman  the  Magnificent,  1565.  It  is  now  a  city  of 
deserted  palaces,  built  with  great  taste  and  magnificence, 


KNIGHTS    OP   MALTA.  169 

as  are  all  their  works  ;  has  a  splendid  cathedral,  strong  and 
extensive  walls  with  castles,  forts  and  gateways.  But  its 
streets  are  silent  all — its  dwellings  deserted,  and  the  aspect 
of  the  place  mournful  and  desolate.  Valetta,  at  that  time 
only  a  strongly  fortified  outpost,  is  now  a  well-built  city, 
beautifully  paved,  but  from  its  streets  following  the  irregu- 
larities of  the  rocks,  is  for  the  most  part  paved  in  steps,  and 
may  well  be  called  the  "city  of  stairs."  The  Island  fur- 
nishes from  its  own  rocky  foundation  beautiful  building  ma- 
terial of  yellow  limestone,  so  soft  that  it  may  be  cut  with  an 
axe  or  hatchet  into  blocks,  and  almost  carved  with  a  pen- 
knife, yet  so  durable  that  the  buildings  formed  from  it  have 
remained  perfect  for  centuries.  From  its  being  so  easily 
cut,  the  buildings  are  much  and  beautifully  ornamented  with 
tasteful  carving.  The  entire  sides  of  the  interior  of  the 
church  of  St.  John  is  made  of  this  stone,  carved  so  that  the 
figures  stand  out  in  relief,  and  are  gilt,  with  the  ground 
work  painted  blue,  having  the  finest  effect  imaginable.  On 
either  side  are  chapels  appropriated  to  the  languages  into 
which  the  order  was  divided,  according  to  the  different 
countries  from  whence  they  came,  eight  in  all.  These  cha- 
pels contain  splendid  monuments  to  the  Grand  Masters — 
altars,  rich  in  precious  and  variegated  marbles  and  fine 
paintings — one,  that  of  the  Madonna,  contains  the  keys  of 
the  gates  of  Jerusalem,  Acre  and  Rhodes,  guarded  in  front 
by  a  railing  of  solid  and  massive  silver,  and  which  only 
escaped  the  rapacity  of  the  French  by  being  painted  over. 
The  ceilings  are  painted  in  fresco,  with  rich  gilded  com- 
partments, and  the  pavement  is  composed  of  tablets  of 
marble  with  inscriptions  to  the  memory  of  the  many  knights 
of  the  order  ;  each  slab  or  tablet  exhibiting  a  beautiful 
specimen  of  rich  mosaic  of  many  colored  stones,  each 
forming  the  armorial  bearing  of  the  knight  whose  remains 
they  cover,  and  many  curious  figures  and  emblems.     We 

8 


^ 


170  PALACE    OF    THE    GRAND    MASTER. 

went  through  the  palace  of  the  Grand  Masters,  now  occu- 
pied by  the  English  governor,  where  was  some  of  the  most 

exquisite  gobelin  tapestry  we  have    seen  in  any  country ; 
— beautiful  antique  clocks,  vases  and  tables,  as  well  as  some 

fine  portraits  of  the  Grand  Masters.  A  portion  of  the  palace 
is  appropriated  as  an  armory,  and  contains  suits  of  armor, 
coats  of  mail,  and  implements  of  war  used  by  the  knights. 
During  our  stay  the  archbishop  of  Malta  was  at  the  point 
of  death,  and  every  bell  in  the  city  (and  no  place  is  so  noted 
for  the  number  and  excellence  of  its  bells  as  this)  was  ring- 
ing from  early  in  the  morning  until  mid-day ;  and  as  a  last 
resource  the  host  was  carried  through  the  streets  preceded 
by  a  procession  composed  of  monks  of  the  different  orders, 
and  ecclesiastics  of  every  description.  The  monks  wore 
the  different  habits  of  their  order  or  fraternity,  which  are 
many  and  various,  each  one  having  a  crucifix  of  massive  gold 
or  silver,  before  which  the  assembled  populace  bowed  with 
uncovered  heads  as  they  were  borne  slowly  past ;  and  when 
at  last  the  host  was  seen  to  approach  with  the  old  bishop, 
the  expectant  successor  of  the  sick  man,  all,  both  men  and 
women,  knelt  upon  the  bare  wet  ground,  (it  had  rained  all 
night,)  bowed  their  heads  and  concealed  their  faces,  that 
they  might  not  profane  by  their  looks  the  Holy  of  Holies. 
All  were  muttering  prayers,  which,  mingled  with  the  musi- 
cal chanting  of  the  monks,  and  the  slow  tolling  of  many 
bells,  had  an  impressive  effect.  Even  the  Protestants  who 
stood  looking  on,  uncovered  their  heads  as  the  Host  was 
carried  by.  You  may  have  some  idea  of  this  procession 
when  I  tell  you  that  it  is  estimated  that  there  is  here  one 
priest  to  every  ten  inhabitants,  and  that  the  Island  is  more 
populous  in  proportion  to  its  surface  than  even  Great  Britain, 
having  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  souls,  with  twelve 
thousand  priests.  These,  with  the  many  soldiers,  among 
whom  is  a  Highland  regiment,  in  their  beautiful  national 


ST.    PAUL  S    SHIPWRECK.  171 


dress,  and  the  costume  of  the  Maltese  ladies,  (a  black  silk 
mantilla  similar  to  the  Moorish  and  Spanish,)  form  a  pictures- 
que  assemblage.  The  language  of  the  Maltese  is  an  impure 
Arabic ;  but  many  of  them  have  learned  the  English  from 
their  constant  intercourse  with  the  English  soldiers  and  resi- 
dents. 1  received  a  call  while  at  Malta,  from  the  Rev.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  B.,  American  missionaries.  I  must  omit  men- 
tioning many  curious  objects  and  places,  (having  now  so 
many  other  scenes  to  describe,)  but  will  give  you  an  ac 
count  of  a  day's  excursion.  The  carriages  here  are  like 
the  body  of  our  cabs,  placed  in  front  of  two  immense  wheels, 
drawn  by  one  horse,  guided  by  a  man,  who  runs  by  his  side, 
and  keeps  pace  with  him,  as  ours  did  to-day,  though  we 
went  about  twenty  miles.  The  vehicle  is  calculated  for 
four  persons,  but  is  only  comfortable  for  two  on  a  long  ex- 
cursion ;  and  though  it  is  now  the  third  of  December,  we 
had  the  carriage  all  open,  and  I  was  sufficiently  warm  with 
only  the  cape  to  my  dress,  requiring  no  shawl  or  cloak. 

Our  first  point  was  the  scene  of  St.  Paul's  shipwreck, 
about  nine  miles'  distant.  It  is  a  pretty  bay,  with  two  or 
three  small  islands,  and  some  small  but  strong  fortifications, 
which  add  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  scene.  On  the  shore 
of  the  bay  is  a  small  chapel,  erected  on  the  spot  where  the 
barbarians  built  a  fire,  and  where  St.  Paul  shook  oft'  the 
viper  that  fastened  on  his  hand.  From  this  we  went  to  the 
former  capital  of  the  Templars,  Cita  Vecchia,  entering  by 
the  gateway  of  its  massive  fortifications.  The  palace-like 
edifices  are  large  and  handsomely  ornamented  with  the 
rich  and  elaborate  carving  of  which  the  Maltese  stone  is  so 
susceptible.  The  cathedral  is  magnificent  in  its  interior 
decorations,  its  ceiling  containing  beautiful  frescoes,  en- 
riched with  gilded  stucco  ornaments,  as  well  as  a  fine  mosaic 
pavement,  while  its  many  altars  are  composed  of  a  variety 
of  precious  marble,  more  rich  and  abundant  even  than  in 


172  MALTA CITA    VECCHIA. 


the  cathedral  at  Valetta.  It  has  also  a  crucifix  brought  by 
the  Knights  from  Rhodes.  From  the  roof  or  terrace,  which 
is  very  spacious  and  formed  of  large  smooth  stones,  we  had 
a  fine  extensive  view  of  the  whole  island,  with  its  numerous 
villages  scattered  over  it,  each  vieing  with  the  other  in  the 
splendor  of  its  cathedral,  M^hose  towers  and  domes  form  a 
beautiful  feature  in  the  surrounding  scenery.  When  riding 
or  walking  you  are  on  a  level  with  the  terraces  which  cover 
the  island,  and  generally  see  only  the  stone  breastwork  that 
supports  the  terrace,  which  presents,  on  the  whole,  rather  a 
barren  aspect  ;  but  viewed  from  such  a  height  as  we  were 
now  beholding  it,  you  look  only  upon  a  carpet  of  vegetation, 
that  seems  to  overspread  the  country  around.  This  is  varied 
by  the  extensive  groves  of  olive,  fig,  and  orange  trees,  which, 
with  the  different  shades  of  their  foliage,  afford  a  pleasing 
relief  to  the  eye.  Valetta  and  its  fortifications  were  dis- 
tinctly visible,  and  afar  off"  we  could  distinguish  iEtna  with 
its  snowy  top,  and  the  waters  of  the  Mediterranean  rolling 
between,  forming  altogether 

"  A  scene,  where,  if  a  god  should  cast  his  sight, 
A  god  might  gaze  and  wonder  with  delight." 
This  cathedral  is  said  to  stand  on  the  site  of  the  house  of 
Publius,  the  Roman  governor,  who  entertained  the  apostles 
so  courteously,  and  whose  father  St.  Paul  healed  of  a  griev- 
ous  illness.  We  next  visited,  near  by,  the  grotto  of  St. 
Paul,  where,  according  to  tradition,  himself  and  St.  Luke 
dwelt  three  months.  A  chapel  has  been  built  over  this  spot 
too ;  and  in  the  grot  is  a  statue  of  Paul,  of  exquisite  work- 
manship.  Pieces  of  the  limestone  of  the  grot  are  con- 
stantly  carried  away  as  mementos,  yet,  like  the  widow's 
cruse  of  oil,  it  never  diminishes— so  we  were  told.  In  the 
vicinity  of  the  grotto  are  extensive  catacombs,  which  are 
shown  by  torch-light.  Here  are  many  places  of  interment, 
large  and  small,  supposed  to  have  been  formed  by  the  Phoe- 


MALTA CATACOMBS.  173 

nicians,  and  afterwards  used  by  the  early  christians  as  hid- 
ing places  in  the  days  of  persecution,  when  they  had  fallen 
into  disuse,  as  places  of  sepulchre,  from  the  Greek  custom 
of  burning  the  bodies  of  the  dead.  There  were  some  very 
primitive  kind  of  mills  for  grinding  their  corn,  and  places 
well  calculated  for  storehouses  or  magazines  for  provisions. 
These  catacombs  extend  some  five  miles  under  ground,  but 
many  of  the  passages  have  been  closed  to  prevent  people 
from  getting  bewildered  and  lost,  as  has  sometimes  hap- 
pened. On  our  return  to  Valetta  we  stopped  at  San  Anto- 
nio, where  is  a  villa  of  the  Grand  Masters,  now  the  country 
seat  of  the  governor.  Besides  many  choice  flowers,  it  con- 
tains many  hundred  orange  and  lemon  trees,  and  all  now 
full  of  fruit. 


174  SICILY. 


LETTER  XIX. 

SYRACUSE TEMPLE     OF     MINERVA EAR     OF     DIONYSIUS 

DEAD    MONKS TOMB     OF    ARCHIMEDES  CATACOMBS 

ARETHUSa's    FOUNTAIN MESSINA FIRST    SIGHT     OF  VE- 
SUVIUS. 

Naples,  December. 
We  left  Malta  in  the  evening  by  the  Neapolitan  steamer 
for  Sicily  and  Naples,  and  the  next  morning,  at  nine 
o'clock,  landed  at  Syracuse,  where  the  boat  remained 
twelve  hours ;  so  we  had  the  day  before  us  to  devote 
to  all  that  was  interesting  in  this  ancient  city.  We  pro- 
cured an  exceedingly  good  guide  —  one  Jack  Robinson, 
an  Englishman,  who  had  lived  so  long  in  foreign  countries, 
that  he  could  scarce  speak  his  native  \aY\gua.ge,  his  French 
being  much  more  intelligible  than  his  English.  Ancient 
Syracuse  was  once  destroyed  by  an  earthquake,  and  every 
thing  seems  to  have  been  toppled  down  and  swept  away, 
either  by  this  wonderful  convulsion  of  nature,  or  by  the  ra- 
vages of  time  since  it  occurred.  The  city  was  built  on  an 
island,  separated  from  the  main  island ;  the  dismember- 
ment probably  caused  by  a  prior  volcanic  convulsion.  The 
modern  town  is  well  built,  handsomely  paved,  and  con- 
tains many  fine,  large  and  handsome  public  edifices, 
among  which  are  the  theatre  and  the  cathedral.  This  last, 
was  once  a  temple  dedicated  to  Minerva,  the  old  columns  of 
the  temple  still  form  the  sides  of  the  building,  but  they  have 
been  filled  in  between  with  plaster,  and  the  fine  stone  of 
which  they  were  composed,  is  covered  with  many  coats  of 
white-wash.  The  mosaic  or  finely  tesselated  pavement,  also 


ANCIENT    SYRACUSE.  175 

belonged  to  the  old  temple  ;  and  we  were  shown  a  white 
marble  font,  said  to  have  been  found  in  the  first  christian 
church  in  Christendom,  which  they  assert  to  have  been  in  Si- 
cily. The  front  of  the  temple  was  destroyed  by  an  earthquake, 
but  is  replaced  by  one  exceedingly  beautiful,  having  some  fine 
Corinthian  columns,  with  the  most  beautifully  carved  capitals 
I  have  ever  seen.  We  rode  upon  the  site  of  the  ancient 
city,  where  vestiges  of  its  former  grandeur  may  still  be  seen. 
In  one  place,  a  solitary  cotumn  stands,  as  if  mourning  the 
desolation  around  ;  this  is  supposed  to  have  belonged  to  a 
temple  of  Ceres  and  Proserpine.  On  another  spot,  midway 
in  the  plain,  stand  two  gigantic  pillars,  all  that  remain  of 
the  once  magnificent  temple  of  Olympian  Jove,  which  con- 
tained his  statue,  with  a  mantle  of  gold,  wrought  from  the 
spoils  of  the  Carthagenians,  but  which  Dionysius  the  elder 
took  from  him,  saying,  "  the  son  of  Saturn  has  a  garment 
too  heavy  for  summer,  and  too  cold  for  winter,  and  should 
be  provided  with  one  suitable  for  both  seasons."  Near  by, 
are  the  remains  of  a  large  reservoir,  probably  used  for  puri- 
fying water  ;  and  in  the  distance,  we  could  discern  the  an- 
cient aqueduct,  which  led  to  it.  Our  road  led  to  a  convent 
of  Capuchins,  who,  though  it  is  contrary  to  their  order  to 
admit  females,  do  not  hesitate  to  admit  English  ladies,  al- 
leging that  they  are  not  christians.  Attached  to  the  con- 
vent are  quarries,  supposed  to  be  the  experimental  excava- 
tions of  Dionysius,  seeking  a  good  conductor  of  sound  for 
his  famous  ear.  They  were  used  as  prisons,  and  contained 
at  one  time  fourteen  thousand  prisoners,  but  are  now  sub- 
terranean gardens — every  thing  growing  without  care,  wild, 
yet  luxuriant — orange,  lemon,  fig  and  olive  trees,  and  some  of 
the  most  delicious  citrons  I  have  ever  eaten.  The  rock  was 
beautifully  draped  with  a  vine,  which  the  monks  told  us  was 
the  laurel  leaf  of  the  poets  ;  so  I  took  care  to  bear  away  a 
sprig.     These  rocks  seemed  composed  almost  entirely  of 


176  DEAD    MONKS. 


petrified  shells,  and  other  marine  substances,  having  a  sin- 
gular appearance,  and  in  many  of  the  crevices,  olive  trees 
are  growing,  their  pliant  trunks  twisting  and  flattening 
themselves  to  the  shape  of  the  chasm,  and  showing  the  anti- 
quity both  of  the  tree  and  of  the  cleft  in  the  rock.  These 
quarries  have  not  only  served  as  prisons,  but  as  places  of  in- 
terment in  ancient  and  modern  times ;  some  ancient  sarco- 
phagi still  remaining ;  among  the  modern  stones,  is  a  tablet, 
with  an  inscription  to  the  memory  of  an  American  midship- 
man, shot  here  in  a  duel  in  1822,  at  the  early  age  of  eight- 
een. An  old  monk  and  a  young  one,  conducted  us  through 
the  quarries,  after  which  they  asked  if  we  would  like  to  go 
into  the  chapel  and  see  the  monks,  at  least,  so  we  inter- 
preted their  Italian,  This  we  had  not  dared  hoped  for,  yet 
we  readily  assented.  They  led  the  way  into  the  church, 
and  then  to  a  long,  wide  chamber  beneath,  to  which  he  de- 
scended by  means  of  a  trap-door,  and  narrow  steps.  Into 
this  the  sun  was  streaming  brightly,  lighting  up  a  long  row 
of  niches  on  either  side,  in  which  were  standing  the  skele- 
tons of  a  ghastly  array  of  dead  brethren  in  the  dress  of  their 
order,  and  other  pious  men,  whose  friends  paid  for  their  ad- 
mittance. Many  of  them  had  a  crown  of  thorns  upon  their 
bare  and  fleshless  skulk,  and  ropes  about  their  necks,  fas- 
tened to  a  nail  behind,  to  keep  them  perpendicular,  and  a 
label  attached  to  their  joined  hands,  on  which  was  written 
their  name,  age,  &;c.  It  was  a  hideous  spectacle,  and  one 
entirely  new,  but  after  it  was  over  I  did  not  regret  that  I  had 
seen  it. 

Our  next  visit  was  more  agreeable,  being  to  another  of 
these  subterranean  prisons,  owned  by  a  marquis,  and  formed 
into  a  lovely  garden  of  fruits  and  flowers,  under  excellent 
cultivation.  We  were  presented  by  the  gardener  with 
oranges  and  lemons,  besides  a  beautiful  bouquet  of  roses,  jes- 
samine, lavender,  heliotrope  and  orange  flowers.     These 


DIONYSIUS'S    EAR.  177 


all  growing  in  the  open  air  in  December,  and  we  eating 
oranges  under  the  trees  from  which  they  were  plucked,  and 
in  our  summer  apparel ;  can  you  imagine  aught  more  de- 
lightful ?  Among  the  most  curious  and  interesting  of  the 
antiquities  here,  is  the  prison  of  the  tyrant,  called  "  Diony- 
sius'  ear."  It  is  in  the  form  of  a  letter  S,  seventeen  feet 
wide,  eighty  feet  high,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  long. 
The  sides  slope  gradually  to  the  summit,  terminating  in  a 
channel  along  its  roof,  which  conveys  every  sound  to  an 
aperture  midway,  communicating  with  a  private  chamber, 
where  the  tyrant  used  to  sit  listening  to  the  conversation  of 
his  prisoners.  The  power  of  conveying  sound  here  is  truly 
wonderful ;  a  whisper  from  one  end  may  be  distinctly  heard 
at  the  other,  and  a  pistol  fired  makes  a  report  like  a  cannon 
— the  reverberations  continuing  ten  seconds  ;  even  tearing 
or  crumbling  a  piece  of  paper  may  be  heard  in  every  part. 
Adjoining  this  prison,  are  the  quarries  where  the  prisoners 
worked,  and  whence  the  huge  and  solid  pillars  for  their 
many  beautiful  temples  were  taken.  A  part  of  this,  is  now 
occupied  by  men  and  children,  weaving  a  beautiful  kind  of 
twine,  such  as  is  used  for  fish-lines  and  nets,  all  active  and 
noisy,  and  all  clamoring  for  "  quelque-cosa,"  and  "  piccola- 
moneta,"  as  soon  as  we  came  in  sight.  Adjoining  this  is  a 
singular  kind  of  salt-works,  where  saltpetre  is  made  by  boil- 
ing the  earth  on  the  spot,  which  seemed  curious  enough  to 
us,  and  for  which  the  gentlemen  accounted,  by  supposing  it 
to  be  the  ashes  of  the  ancient  city,  mingled  with  volcanic 
substances.  The  earth  is  put  into  tubs  of  water  for  twenty- 
four  hours  ;  they  then  draw  it  off,  and  boil  it  twenty-four, 
after  which  it  is  placed  in  the  sun  an  equal  length  of  time, 
which  converts  it  into  saltpetre.  The  article  of  salt  is  a  mo- 
nopoly of  the  king,  and  the  source  of  great  wealth  to  him.  More 
than  fifty  feet  above  our  heads,  yet  some  twenty  below  the  sur- 
face, is  seen  the  remains  of  a  pipe  or  conduit,  which  is  sup- 

8* 


178  CATACOMBS  OF  SYRACUSE. 

posed  to  have  conveyed  water  for  the  use  of  the  prisoners. 
We  visited  the  tomb  of  Archimedes,  then  ascended  the 
heights  of  the  ancient  city,  where  are  the  remains  of  its 
theatre,  (supposed  the  most  ancient  of  Grecian  theatres,)  its 
ampitheatre,  fountains,  and  aqueducts.  Descending  the  hill, 
we  followed  the  ancient  road  to  Tyche,  cut  out  of  solid  rock, 
having  a  place  on  either  side,  worn  by  the  wheels,  and  in 
the  centre  by  the  horse  ;  each  side  is  lined  with  tombs  or 
sepulchres,  cut  in  the  rock  in  the  same  manner  as  those 
in  the  catacombs.  There  were  recesses  cut  in  the  rock 
in  which  were  inserted  marble  slabs  with  inscriptions. 
Our  guide  led  us  next  to  the  old  church  of  San  Giovanni. 
A  monk  lives  here  like  a  hermit,  upon  the  donations  he  re- 
ceives for  showing  the  catacombs,  and  the  remains  of  a  very 
ancient  church,  (underneath  that  of  San  Giovanni,)  called 
San  Matthieu,  in  which  was  found  the  font  shown  us  in  the 
cathedral,  and  is  the  church  said  by  the  people  to  have 
been  the  first  built  in  Christendom.  In  a  chapel,  is  the 
tomb  of  the  first  bishop,  San  Matthieu  ;  some  old  sculptures 
and  frescoes  still  remain,  but  are  not  very  attractive.  The 
catacombs  are  exceeding  curious  and  interesting,  extending 
from  fourteen  to  twenty-two  miles,  having  passages  and  gal- 
leries running  like  streets  in  every  direction,  with  large 
openings  or  cells  on  either  side,  arched  above,  the  flooring 
divided  into  lesser  cells  or  coffins,  as  if  intended  for  a  family 
mausoleum ;  there  were  small  ones  for  children,  and  a  few 
larger  ones  separate,  as  if  intended  for  persons  of  distinction. 
The  passages  were  narrow,  and  in  some  places  so  low,  that 
Giovanni,  our  guide,  called  out  to  us,  in  his  broken  English^ 
to  •'  lay  heads."  The  main  passage,  however,  is  six  feet 
wide  and  eight  feet  high,  and  crossed  by  numerous  others. 
In  one  of  the  sepulchral  chambers,  we  counted  seventeen  di- 
visions, and  at  one  place  we  could  see  a  passage  leading  to 
a  tier  above  the  one  we  were  in,  but  there  is  now  no  ac- 


FONT    OF    ARETHUSA.  179 

cess  to  it.  On  our  return  to  modern  Syracuse,  we  overtook  a 
party  of  Englishmen,  coming  from  ^tna,  whoin  answer  to  our 
inquiries,  said  there  was  nothing  more  to  be  seen  than 
at  an  ordinary  time  at  Vesuvius ;  the  eruption  had  entirely 
ceased,  and  the  mountain  was  covered  with  snow,  so  low 
down,  that  it  was  only  practicable  to  ascend  a  short  dis- 
tance. Their  account  threw  cold  water  on  our  project  ; 
having  heard  of  a  terrible  eruption  lately  occurring,  we  had 
hoped  to  have  been  in  time  to  see  something  of  it ;  we  did 
not  yet  give  it  up  however.  We  paused  before  the  city 
walls,  to  look  upon  ^Etna,  which  was  very  distinct ;  the  set- 
ting sun  shone  full  upon  its  snow-clad  summit,  gilding  the 
sky  behind  with  its  bright  tints,  and  showing  the  huge  black 
peak  of  the  volcano,  with  its  column  of  smoke  in  beautiful 
relief;  dark  and  heavy  masses  of  clouds  gathered  around,  fad- 
ing and  lessening  till  they  were  lost  in  the  pale  azure  of  the  sky 
above.  We  continued  gazing  upon  this  lovely  scene  till  we 
had  passed  the  moat  with  its  bridge,  and  portcullis,  and 
under  its  magnificently  carved  gateway,  which  dropped  like 
a  curtain  before  our  eyes,  and  shut  out  all  behind.  Inside 
the  walls  was  a  large  tank  or  reservoir,  filled  with  women 
washing  clothes  ;  here  was  formerly  a  fountain  dedicated  to 
Arethusa,  who,  according  to  mythology,  was  transformed  by 
Diana  into  this  stream,  and  in  this  form  rceived  divine  honors 
from  the  Syracusans  as  their  patroness.  We  had  only  time  to 
dine,  returning  on  board  at  six,  P.  M.,  the  city  gate  closing 
after  us,  having  spent  a  day  delightfully  interesting,  and  with 
very  little  fatigue.  I  carried  with  me  some  papyrus,  such 
as  was  used  by  the  ancients  before  the  invention  of  paper  ; 
also  some  of  the  plant  of  which  it  is  made,  which  grows 
abundantly  here. 

At  seven  the  next  morning,  we  anchored  in  the  beautiful 
harbor  of  Messina.  The  place  contains  few  curiosities  of 
any  kind,  and  little  to  interest  a  stranger.     It  is,  however,  a 


180  MESSINA. 


handsome  town,  the  houses  fine  and  large,  though  not  high, 
(from  their  liability  to  be  toppled  down  by  an  earthquake, )e  very 
window  having  its  pretty  balcony.  Its  streets  are  ofgood  width, 
finely  paved,  and  ornamented  with  many  beautiful  fountains. 
But  its  chief  beauty  consists  in  its  lovely  environs,  and  the 
charming  harbor  of  a  crescent  form,  along  which  runs  a 
fine  quay  or  street,  a  mile  and  a  quarter  in  length,  following 
the  curved  line  of  the  bay,  and  lined  with  magnificent  build- 
ings, fronting  the  water,  ornamented,  too,  with  numerous  fine, 
large  statues,  and  along  the  shore  are  vessels  side  by  side, 
as  close  and  thick  as  they  can  be  placed.  We  took  a  car- 
riage and  drove  about  town ;  visited  the  cathedral,  which 
has  a  singular  front  of  brick-work  mosaic,  and  contains 
twenty-six  huge  pillars  of  Egyptian  granite  taken  from  va- 
rious heathen  temples,  some  very  good  sculpture,  beautiful 
specimens  of  the  Florentine  mosaic,  and  the  cupola  under 
which  the  high  altar  stands,  is  encrusted  with  well  preserved 
mosaic  of  another  kind.  The  cathedral  stands  on  the  Piazza 
del  Duomo,  where,  is  a  magnificent  fountain,  and  collossal 
statue  of  Carlo  II.  We  next  ascended  a  high  hill  to  the 
church  of  San  Gregorio,  to  which  is  attached  a  ladies'  con- 
vent. It  stands  on  a  lofty  eminence  which  you  ascend  by 
many  steps,  and  commands  an  extensive  view  of  the  city, 
its  beautiful  harbor,  and  the  rich  and  verdant  country  which 
surrounds  it  ;  it  was  indeed  very  lovely.  The  church  is  re- 
markable for  the  splendid  mosaics  with  which  it  is  com- 
pletely lined  ;  it  is  Florentine  mosaic,  of  a  rare  and  costly 
pietra  dura,  representing  figures  and  flowers  in  all  the  bril- 
liancy of  their  natural  colors.  It  is  surmounted  by  a  singu- 
lar tower,  spiral  in  form,  the  ornaments  of  which  wind 
round  and  round  like  a  cork-screw,  after  the  fashion  of  the 
Tower  of  Babel,  as  we  see  it  represented  in  pictures.  We 
passed  a  delightful  evening  at  the  house  of  our  consul,  with 
its  charming  host  and  hostess,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  P.  and  an  Ame- 


STROMBOLI.  181 


rican  gentleman,  a  captain  of  a  vessel,  now  in  harbor.    We 
slept  on  shore,  leaving  the  next  morning  at  nine.     Passed 
soon  the  Scylla  and  Charybdis,  so  formidable  to  ancient  na- 
vigators ;  nothing  is  to  be  seen  above    water,   the    waves 
having  only  the  appearance  of  a  counter  current  or  rapid.  In 
a  few  hours  we  came  in  sight  of  the  volcanic  islands,  mid- 
way between  Sicily  and  the  main  land,  the  largest  ot  which, 
Stromboli,  stands  like  an  out-post  between  the  two  larger 
volcanoes,  ^tna  and  Vesuvius,  perhaps  serving  as  a  commu- 
nication to  either,  or  mayhap  as  a  safety-valve  to  both,  for  it 
i|l;,  never    altogether  quiet,  but  always  issuing  smoke    and 
flame.     After  this  we  neared  the  Calabrian  coast,  stopping 
at  a  small  town  to  land  and  take  in  passengers.     We  were 
soon  surrounded  by  a  swarm  of  well-filled  boats  ;  in  them 
were  the  Calabrian  peasants,  with  their  narrow  brim,  sugar 
loaf  hats   and   velvet  bands.     The  town  was  built  on  high 
walls,  on  the  summit  of  the  cliff  rising  out  of  the  water,  and 
the  vines,  variegated  by  the  impress  of  Jack  Frost's  fingers, 
made    the  hills  look  very  pretty.     The  country  along  the 
coast  has  an  irregular  appearance,  as  if  it  might,  at  some  prior 
time,  have  suffered  from  volcanic  convulsions,  but  is  beauti- 
fully  verdant,  well  cultivated  and  fertile.     Stromboli  rising 
abruptly  from  the  water,  with  nothing  to  obscure  the  view, 
its  huge  cone  with  its  column  of  smoke  streaming  incessantly 
from  its  pointed  summit,  forming  many  clouds,  extending  and 
carried  by  the  winds  to  a  long  distance,  was  a  remarkable 
and  interesting  object  all  day,  and  which  we  did  not  tire  of 
watching,  and  I  shall  not  soon  forget  its  appearance  by  the 
glowing  light  of  the  setting  sun,  or  the  still  softer  light  of  the 
young  moon  which  made  all  beautiful  at  night. 

The  next  morning  we  rose  early  that  we  might  lose  no- 
thing on  our  entrance  into  the  beautiful  bay  of  Naples,  but 
alas,  though  it  was  pleasant,  and  there  was  some  blue  sky 
visible,   still  it  was  cloudy,   and  there  was  a  good  deal  of 


182  BAY    OP    NAPLES. 


haze  which  prevented  our  seeing  at  a  distance,  and  we  were 
in  the  bay,  and  close  to  the  beautiful  city,  before  its  beau- 
ties and  wonders  broke  upon  us.  It  was  more  beautiful 
than  I  at  first  thought,  for  I  was  bent  upon  making  invidious 
comparisons  between  it  and  the  lovely  bay  of  New  York  ; 
but  there  is  such  a  decided  difference  in  the  features  of  the 
scenery  of  each,  that  both  may  be  called  most  beautiful,  nor 
need  the  praise  of  one  detract  at  all  from  the  merits  of  the 
other.  The  summit  of  Vesuvius  was  enveloped  in  clouds, 
looking  very  quiet  and  peaceable,  and  not  at  all  the  sleep- 
ing lion  it  actually  is.  The  bay  is  a  perfect  crescent,  com- 
pletely lined  with  palaces,  churches  and  other  fine  buildings 
diversified  with  arches  and  towers  ;  and  high  up,  reaching 
midway  to  the  clouds,  was  a  fine  old  convent,  having  more 
the  appearance  of  a  fortress,  than  the  dwelling  of  such  a 
quiet  and  peaceful  order.  Then  the  beautiful  islands  Ischia, 
Capri,  and  others,  which  so  relieve  the  watery  waste,  when 
you  look  out  upon  the  blue  and  boundless  sea,  with  the  ex- 
tensive line  of  coast,  and  its  green  undulating  hills,  dotted 
with  villas,  far  and  near,  is  a  transcendantly  lovely  scene. 
Vesuvius,  too,  can  never  cease  to  be  an  object  novel  and 
unique  to  a  stranger's  eye,  nor  to  call  forth  feelings  of  won- 
der and  awe,  filled  as  it  is  with  mysteries  it  neither  loses  or 
reveals.  Enwrap  all  this,  and  more  in  your  imagination, 
as  it  is  enveloped  in  the  soft  transparent  haze  of  this  deli- 
cious clime,  beautifying  and  mistifying  all  around,  and  you 
may  fancy  somewhat  of  the  reality.  I  cannot  take  leave  of 
you  in  a  niore  beautiful  spot,  so  now  adieu. 


NAPLES.  183 


LETTER  XX. 

DRIVE    OF    THE    TOLEDO KING     OF    NAPLES ANTIQUITIES 

FROM    POMPEII EXCURSION     TO    VESUVIUS ITS    ASCENT 

DESCRIPTION    OF    ITS    APPEARANCE,    &C. 

In  my  last  I  had  brought  you  with  me  fairly  into  "  La 
bella  Italia," — 

"  Land  of  departed  fame  !  whose  classic  plains 
Have  proudly  echoed  to  immortal  strains  ; 
Home  of  the  arts  !  where  glory's  faded  smile 
Sheds  lingering  light  o'er  many  a  mouldering  pile." 

I  detained  you  so  long  on  the  waters  of  the  Mediterranean, 
and  amid  the  novel  scenes  of  Malta  and  Sicily,  that  I  fear 
you  almost  despaired  of  reaching  this  land  of  sunshine  and 
song.  What  stores  have  I  not  in  anticipation  ?  Rome, 
Florence  and  Genoa  are  yet  before  me  ;  and  amid  scenes 
so  fraught  with  interest  as  surround  me  in  this  "  city  of  the 
waves,"  how  can  I  dwell  sufficiently  on  those  by-past.  What 
time  is  given  me  to  reflect  on  all  I  have  left  behind,  that 
they  may  be  stamped  upon  my  mind,  and  leave  an  impress 
on  my  memory  that  the  coming  ones  shall  not  efface.  But, 
not  to  keep  you  longer  waiting,  I  will  give  you  the  events 
and  scenes  of  each  successive  day  of  our  sojourn  in  lovely 
Naples,  "queen  of  the  summer  sea." 

While  I  was  arranging  my  own  matters  and  things  to 
make  myself  comfortable  in  our  pleasant  quarters  at  the 
Villa  de  Roma,  Mr.  C,  went  out  to  see  after  our  letters, 
which  are  usually  the  first  steps  taken  on  our  arrival  at  any 
city.  Learning  that  it  was  a  grand  fete  day  he  returned  to 
tell  me  ;  and  despatching  a  man  for   our  letters,  that  we 


184  BIRTH-DAY    OF   THE    VIRGIN. 

might  have  them  on  om*  return,  we  sallied  forth  to  see  the 
gayeties.  It  was  the  birth-day  of  the  Virgin,  and  there  had 
been  a  temporary  chapel  erected  for  the  occasion,  where 
mass  was  to  be  performed  at  one,  and  at  which  the  king, 
with  his  household  and  numerous  escort,  were  to  be  present. 
It  was  now  two  ;  taking  a  carriage  we  drove  slowly  up  the 
Toledo,  one  of  the  principal  streets,  now  filled  with  a  crowd 
of  people,  some  on  foot  and  others  in  carriages  ;  every 
window  has  its  balcony,  and  these,  too,  were  filled  with 
ladies  and  gentlemen,  all  looking  gay  and  joyous.  After 
driving  half  the  length  of  the  street,  we  paused,  that  we 
might  better  see  the  troops  as  they  passed,  and  also  the  king, 
who  was  to  review  them.  The  troops  themselves,  upwards 
of  forty  thousand  men,  were  a  splendid  sight,  dressed  in 
every  variety  of  color  and  uniform ;  and  as  our  lucky  star 
seems  always  in  the  ascendant  when  any  royalty  is  to  be 
seen,  the  king  and  his  cortege,  all  handsomely  mounted, 
reined  in  their  horses  on  the  side  of  the  street  directly  op- 
posite to  us.  He,  with  a  few  that  accompanied  him,  dis- 
mounted and  stood  immediately  before  us.  An  old  man 
stepped  from  the  crowd,  knelt  at  the  king's  feet,  presenting 
a  written  petition,  kissing  his  hand  at  the  same  time.  An 
old  woman  also  came  with  a  petition,  and  some  others,  all 
of  which  he  received  very  graciously,  placing  them  inside 
the  breast  of  his  coat.  He  addressed  some  words  to  the 
soldiers  as  they  passed  by,  and  seemed  very  affable  and 
familiar  with  those  around  him.  He  is  a  handsome,  portly, 
happy  looking  personage,  but  is  not  much  liked,  either  by 
his  subjects  or  the  generality  of  strangers  who  ever  throng 
his  beautiful  capital.  He  was  dressed  in  a  handsome  unifom, 
with  glittering  stars  and  badges  of  various  orders  on  the 
breast  of  his  coat.  Presently  there  drove  along  a  carriage 
with  the  queen  and  the  uncle  of  his  majesty,  the  Prince  of 
Salerno.  The  latter  descended  from  the  carriage,  resigning 


ANTIQUITIES    OP   POMPEII.  185 

his  seat  to  the  king,  who  placed  himself  by  the  side  of  his 
consort,  both  bowing  graciously  to  the  assemblage  as  they 
drove  off.  The  prince,  mounting  the  horse  of  the  king, 
followed  their  majesties,  having  afforded  us  a  view  of  all. 
We  remained  to  review  the  rest  of  the  soldiers,  and  then 
drove  to  the  hotel  to  read  letters  from  home. 

One  of  our  visits  the  next  day  was  at  the  Museum,  to  ex- 
amine the  antiquities  taken  from  Pompeii — things  of  all 
kinds  and  for  all  purposes.  Among  them  were  the  contents 
of  an  artist's  studio  and  of  a  paint  shop,  bread,  cake,  grain, 
fruit,  nuts,  &;c.,  in  a  charred  state,  all  sorts  of  cooking  uten- 
sils, scales,  steelyards,  stoves,  and  personal  ornaments  ;  many 
things  very  similar  to  those  in  use  at  the  present  day,  some 
of  them  very  beautiful ;  also  a  great  number  of  statues'in 
marble  and  bronze,  and  magnificent  vases  in  Terra  Cotta. 
These,  with  a  glance  at  the  splendid  collection  of  paintings 
and  statuary  in  t  he  same  building,  filled  up  the  day. 

Fearing  the  rainy  season  might  set  in  and  prevent  our 
having  an  opportunity  of  seeing  Vesuvius  to  advantage,  we 
determined  to  avail  ourselves  of  the  first  day  of  sunshine 
for  this  excursion.  To  take  advantage  of  the  fine  view  of 
the  city,  bay,  and  the  beautiful  environs  of  Naples,  which 
the  ascent  of  Vesuvius  affords,  it  is  desirable  to  have  a  clear 
atmosphere,  which  is  not  always  the  case,  even  when  fav- 
ored with  the  clear  and  cloudless  sky,  accompanied  by  the 
bright  and  glorious  sunshine  of  this  lovely  clime,  for  it  is  to 
the  combination  of  these  we  are  indebted  for  that  lovely 
veil  of  haze,  so  soft  and  dreamy  in  itself,  and  beautifying  all 
that  it  envelopes.  But  at  the  same  time  that  it  adds  so 
much  to  the  beauty  of  the  view,  it  prevents  a  very  extensive 
one.  Under  these  circumstances,  we  considered  ourselves 
highly  favored  in  the  benefits  arising  from  a  cool,  frosty 
morning,  which  so  rarified  the  air  as  to  present  every  thing 
clear  and  distinct.    We  were  on  our  way  at  an  early  hour, 


1S6  NEAPOLITAN    VEHICLES. 

passing  through  the  market-place,  the  scene  of  Massaniello's 
insurrection,  and  alighting  from  the  carriage,  we  entered 
the  church  where  is  the  pillar  and  stone,  on  which  were 
beheaded  Conradin  and  his  cousin  Frederick.  Their  re- 
mains are  placed  behind  the  great  altar,  and  there  is  an 
inscription  which  can  only  be  read  by  the  aid  of  a  lamp,  so 
obscure  is  the  place  and  writing.  Once  more  "  en  route," 
we  passed  an  immense  building  more  than  a  mile  long, 
intended  as  a  barrack  for  soldiers,  and  capable,  as  our  guide 
informed  us,  of  accommodating  fifty  thousand  men.  It  is 
now  used  as  a  sort  of  store-house,  or  huge  granary.  I  have 
mentioned  in  my  letters  to  some  of  you,  the  great  number 
of  donkies  which  form  so  amusing  a  spectacle  in  the  streets 
here.  They  have  usually  a  huge  pannier  or  basket,  which 
generally  contains  a  ludicrous  assortment.  You  will  some- 
times see  them  filled  with  children,  whom  the  mother  can 
not  leave  behind,  and  is  obliged  to  take  in  this  way  when 
she  goes  to  market  to  buy  or  sell.  Sometimes  you  may  see 
two  men  sitting  face  to  face,  one  on  the  neck,  the  other  on 
the  hinder  part  of  the  animal,  while  chaffering  about  or 
bargaining  for  the  chickens  who  are  popping  their  heads 
out  of  the  panniers,  as  if  they  too  had  a  wo  rd  to  say,  as  to 
the  exchange  of  owners.  Besides  these,  you  will  see  a  kind 
of  "  one  horse  shay,"  gaily  painted  with  bright  colors  and 
glittering  with  the  gold  with  which  it  is  richly  ornamented, 
universally  used  by  the  people  of  the  neighboring  villages  ; 
and  though  drawn  by  only  one  poor  horse  or  more  miserable 
mule,  and  calculated  for  but  two  persons  and  the  driver,  it  is 
quite  common  to  see  ten,  and  not  at  all  uncommon  to  see  fif- 
teen persons  of  various  sizes,  clinging  to  different  parts  of  the 
vehicle,  and  to  each  other  to  obtain  a  ride.  We  are  told  that 
the  first  glory  of  a  Neapolitan  peasant,  when  he  receives  any 
money,  is  to  fill  himself  with  macaroni  ;  the  second,  to  treat 
himself  to  a  ride ;  these  are  his  life  and  luxury. 


HIDE    TO    VESUVIUS.  1S7 

Leaving  Naples  in  a  carriage,  our  course  lay  along  the 
crescent  of  its  beautiful  hay.  Palaces,  fortresses,  castles, 
convents,  churches,  towers  and  domes,  form  the  prominent 
features  on  the  land  side  ;  while  the  isles  of  Ischia,  Procida 
and  Capri,  the  mountains  of  Calabria,  and  the  Appenines 
loom  up  from  the  waters  of  its  beautiful  gulf — 
"  And  from  on  high  Vesuvius  rears  his  peak, 
Furrowed  and  dark  with  many  a  lava  streak." 

You  roll  along  the  street  paved  with  lava,  the  houses  you 
pass  are  built  of  the  same,  while  walls  of  this  once  burning, 
moving  flood,  now  solid  and  granitic  stone,  form  the  divi- 
sions of  their  beautiful  gardens.  A  drive  of  two  hours 
brings  you  to  the  busy  bustling  village  of  Portici,  and  your 
ride  has  been  through  a  succession  of  houses,  so  that  you 
are  unable  to  discover  where  the  city  ended  or  where  the 
village  began.  Even  in  this  short  ride  an  insight  is  given 
you  of  the  ignorance  and  superstition  of  the  people,  from  the 
great  number  of  rams'  horns  and  dead  birds  fastened  over 
the  entrance  of  their  houses,  the  first  to  keep  out  his  Sa- 
tanic majesty,  the  other  to  set  at  defiance  witches  and  other 
spirits.  As  an  evidence,  too,  of  how  much,  as  well  as  how 
rigidly  they  are  taxed,  salt  being  an  article  of  royal  mono- 
poly, they  are  not  suffered  to  take  a  pail  of  the  element 
from  the  salt  waters  of  their  own  beautiful  bay.  Tobacco, 
too,  is  a  monopoly  of  the  king,  and  these  articles  are  sold 
in  mean,  dirty  shops,  with  the  words  "  licensed  to  sell  to- 
bacco and  salt"  under  the  royal  arms,  but  let  us  on.  Pass- 
ing through  the  streets  of  this  lively  village  with  its  noisy 
population,  you  may  wonder,  but  can  scarce  realize  that  your 
wheels  are  rolling  over  the  buried  streets  and  houses  of  the 
once  splendid  and  populous  Herculaneum,  its  now  half  exca- 
vated theatre,  and  the  few  dwellings  and  temples  brought 
to  light,  evidencing  the  former  wealth  and  luxury  of  its 
inhabitants,  and  the  grandeur  and  magnificence  of  their  city. 


188  DONKEY-RIDING. 


At  the  town  of  Resina,  which  is  near  and  seemingly  a 
part  of  Portici,  we  alighted  from  our  carriage  at  the  house  of 
Salvatora,  the  well-knovvn  and  far-famed  guide  of  all  pil- 
grims to  Vesuvius.  Here  we  take  horses  to  ascend  the 
stony  and  circuitous  path,  that  leads  up  the  side  of  the  outer 
cone.  Having  the  reputation  of  being  more  sure-footed, 
and  more  accomplished  in  mountain  travel,  donkies  are  usu- 
ally provided  for  ladies  ;  but  from  the  experience  I  have  had, 
I  would  recommend  to  all  lady  travellers,  the  noble  horse  in 
preference  to  the  meek  and  patient  donkey,  as  being  quicker 
in  their  movements,  more  agreeable  in  motion,  and  where 
accustomed  to  it  equally  sure-footed,  or  sufficiently  so  for 
short  excursions.  I  had  a  seat  with  sides  and  back,  like  a 
chair,  and  a  board  whereon  to  rest  my  feet  ;  to  add  to  the 
awkwardness  of  my  position,  I  was  placed  on  the  right  in- 
stead of  the  left  side,  as  is  the  custom  with  us,  and  so  much 
on  the  side  of  the  animal,  that  in  order  to  look  forward  to 
see  where  I  was  going,  I  was  obliged  to  turn  my  head  so 
far  and  so  constantly  to  one  side,  that  I  became  very  stiff- 
necked.  Our  road  seemed  to  follow  the  windings  of  a  river 
of  lava,  which  formed  a  firm  and  solid  pavement,  at  the  same 
time  that  its  uneven  surface  afforded  a  safe  and  sure  foot- 
hold to  the  animals  that  bore  us  ;  each  having  a  man  to  guide 
them.  I  soon  found  they  needed  no  help  from  the  guides, 
but  rather  extended  it  to  them  ;  for  when  we  came  to 
the  parts  most  steep  (the  drudgery  usually  falling  to  the 
lot  of  the  meek  and  patient,)  I  found  all  five  hanging 
to  the  tail  of  my  little  quadruped.  I  could  not  help 
laughing,  for  I  had  previously  thought  I  bore  no  slight 
resemblance  to  the  figures  exhibited  in  the  china  shops 
in  Broadway,  labelled  "Madame  Trollop  on  her  travels;" 
but  with  this  addition  to  the  picture,  I  could  think  of  no  com- 
parison. We  met  a  party  who  had  passed  the  night  upon 
the  summit  to  see  the  sun  rise  ;  they  cheered  us  by  saying 


ASCENT   OF    THE    CONE.  189 

we  should  enjoy  a  fine  sight,  as  the  volcano  was  unusually 
active,  and  themselves  had  been  highly  delighted.  Another 
party  passed  us  soon  after  at  a  quick  pace,  keeping  their 
guides  as  well  as  their  horses  on  a  brisk  trot.  When  we 
started  in  the  morning,  the  air  was  so  frosty  and  chill,  that 
cloaks  and  coats  were  necessary,  but  instead  of  finding  the 
cold  increase  as  is  usual  in  ascending  mountains,  it  was 
more  and  more  warm  as  we  neared  the  summit,  and  we 
were  obliged  to  throw  ofFsome  of  our  thick  covering.  Two 
thirds  of  the  way  up  is  a  convent,  where  we  halted,  and 
without  dismounting,  drank  some  of  the  "  lachryma 
christi,"  for  which  the  vineyards  of  Vesuvius  are  so  famous. 
Half  a  mile  beyond  this  we  dismounted,  leaving  our  horses 
(who  could  go  no  farther)  with  the  guides.  From  this 
point  the  gentlemen  proceeded  on  foot,  aided  by  good  stout 
walking-sticks,  and  a  guide  who  preceded  each,with  a  leathern 
strap  over  their  shoulder,  to  which  the  gentlemen  held  fast, 
and  I  in  a  chair  fastened  to  poles,  and  borne  on  the  should- 
ers of  four  men.  We  could  see  those  who  had  gone  before, 
some  near  the  top,  and  others  midway,  looking  like  ants 
toiling  up  an  ant-hill.  Our  pathway  led  over  a  bed  of  bro- 
ken lava,  the  overflowings  of  the  volcano  during  the  erup- 
tion of  1839,  five  years  before.  The  line  of  march  was  up 
the  face  of  the  cone,  stepping  from  one  large  block  to  ano- 
ther, which  afforded  firm  footing  to  say  the  least ;  but  as  we 
neared  the  summit,  it  became  more  and  moresteep,  and  con- 
sequently tiresome.  This  is,  however,  but  a  small  part  of 
the  whole,  and  stopping  to  breathe  occasionally,  we  at  last 
attained  the  height  of  our  ambition.  I  had  apparently  an 
easy  time  of  it.  My  sympathy  with  my  bearers,  however,  was 
so  great,  that  to  me  the  journey  was  a  toilsome  one,  and  I  have 
made  many  a  long  walk  with  less  fatigue,  and  certainly  less 
pain  ;  were  I  to  attempt  the  ascent  again,  I  would  prepare 
myself  with  a  pair  of  stout  walking  shoes,  and  accomplish  it 


190         THE  CRATER  FROM  OUTER  CONE. 

on  foot.  I  am  sure  my  bearers  were  not  more  rejoiced  or 
relieved  than  myself,  when  I  was  permitted  to  take  my  stand 
with  the  rest  on  the  summit  of  the  cone. 

The  captain  of  our  guides  pointed  out  a  cave  on  a  shelv- 
ing rock,  asking  me  to  take  a  seat  within.  I  did  so,  and 
found  the  smoke  and  vapor  issuing  from  its  side  and  roof,  the 
earth  warm  to  the  hand,  and  the  temperature  delightful- 
The  gentlemen  who  had  passed  us,  from  being  well  mounted, 
as  well  as  from  our  party  having  to  adapt  their  speed  to  the 
motions  of  my  little  donkey,  determined  to  go  his  own  slow 
pace  in  spite  of  the  energetic  "ahsand  ughs"  of  the  guides, 
who  would  sometimes  in  their  impatience,  give  him  a  lift 
behind  that  almost  sent  him  heels  over  head,  and  me  with 
him,  had  far  out-stripped  us.  We  found  them  seated  on  the 
ground,  cooking  eggs  in  the  warm  sand,  and  gazing  de- 
lighted upon  the  workings  of  the  volcano  below.  We  drew 
near  the  edge  of  the  crater,  whence  we  could  look  upon 
the  inner  cone,  and  joining  ourselves  to  their  party,  were 
soon  participating  in  their  delight.  You  will  readily  be- 
lieve that  in  the  vicinity  where  we  now  stood,  the  tempera- 
ture was  some  twenty  degrees  warmer  than  at  Naples  in 
the  morning.  We  were  seated  on  the  inner  side  of  the  outer 
cone.  The  mouth  or  crater,  is  three  miles  in  circumfer- 
ence, and  from  where  we  were  to  the  depth  below,  more 
than  three  hundred  feet.  In  the  centre  of  this  yawning  gulf, 
arose  another  cone  ninety  or  one  hundred  feet  in  height — 
this  may  be  called  the  lip  of  the  volcano.  During  our  visit 
it  was  very  lively  and  active.  The  explosions  were  inces- 
sant, like  the  firing  of  artillery,  and  every  few  seconds  there 
was  a  noise  loud  as  the  report  of  a  cannon,  accompanied 
with  an  eruption.  A  volume  of  smoke,  red  at  the  base, 
and  black  as  it  rose,  issued  from  the  glowing  caldron  of  the 
fiery  crater.  At  each  of  these  loud  reports,  which  seemed 
like  the   bursting  of  a  bomb,  within  the  huge  furnace,  a 


VESUVIUS.  l&l 


quantity  of  red  hot  stones,  some  of  them  two  or  three  feet 
square,  were  thrown  up  to  a  great  height,  and  were  continually- 
adding  to  th-e  pile  of  loose  and  broken  lava  of  which  this  in- 
ner cone  is  composed,  a  self-raised  monument  to  its  own  fiery 
deeds.  These,  though  red  and  glowing,  when  thrown  up 
from  its  burning  orifice  of  living  fire,  fall  dark  and  black 
amid  the  heap  of  debris  around.  On  the  side  of  this  inner 
crater,  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  were  two  openings  as  large 
as  a  man's  head,  from  which  issued  a  fiery  smoke.  These, 
though  frequently  changing  their  locality,  continued  always 
in  the  same  proximity  to  each  other. 

A  gentleman  who  was  of  our  party,  visited  the  volcano 
again  a  few  days  after,  and  then  these  openings  had  united, 
forming  a  lesser  crater  in  the  side  of  the  cone,  throwing  up 
fiery  stones  and  smoke  like  the  larger  one.  While  seated 
quietly  and  calmly  on  the  inside  of  the  outer  cone,  looking 
with  an  intensity  of  wonder  and  admiration  at  the  mysteri- 
ous workings  of  this  singular  phenomena,  I  felt  within  me 
the  workings  of  that  quality,  which  men  attribute  peculiarly 
to  females,  and  call  curiosity,  but  which  I,  quite  willing  to 
admit  the  property,  am  more  disposed  to  denominate  a  lau- 
dable desire  for  the  acquisition  of  knowledge.  I  really 
could  scarce  restrain  my  inclination  to  explore  these  inner 
regions,  and  discover  what  was  doing  below  there  to 
cause  such  a  commotion  above  ;  but  as  I  have  not  the  fame 
of  a  Pliny  to  leave  behind,  I  concluded  it  best  not  to  tempt 
his  fate,  by  too  near  an  approach  to  the  yawning  burn- 
ing pit,  so  contented  myself  with  gazing  upon  it  from  the 
secure  position  in  wnich  I  was  very  composedly  and  com- 
fortably eating  some  of  the  eggs  that  the  guides  had  roasted 
in  the  burning  sands  liear  by,  when,  as  if  on  purpose  to  dis- 
turb our  delightful  tranquillity,  the  wind  suddenly  changed, 
and  blew  the  whole  stream  of  sulphurous  vapor  directly  in 
our  faces,  so  that  for  a  few  moments  we  were  almost  sufTo- 


192  DESCENT   TO    THE    CRATER. 

cated.     Our  collation  consisted  of  bread,  eggs  and  fruit,  and 
what  was  perhaps  better,  a  draught  of  the  real  "  Lachryma 
Christi,"  (what  a  drink  for  sinners,  is  it  not  ?  "  the  tears  of 
Christ ;"  and  what  a  name  for  wine,  but  they  take  strange 
liberties  here  with  the  Saviour  and  Virgin  Mother.)     The 
gentleman  determined  to  descend  to  the  depths  below,  and 
have  a  nearer  view  of  the  doings  there .     I  remained  above 
with  Major  G.,  who  was  not  quite  well,  and  some   of  the 
guides  ;  in  about  ten  minutes  we  looked  down  upon  our  ven- 
turesome companions,  the  two  English  gentlemen  and  Mr. 
C,  who  were  standing  near  the  two  edifices,   midway  up 
the  cone.     Between  the  base  of  the  outer  and  inner  cone  is 
a  channel,  or  bed  of  lava,  perhaps  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
wide,  which  they  told  us  had  mostly  formed  during  the  last 
month.     This  was  filled  with  cracks    and  crevices,  and  it 
was  over  this  they  walked  to  reach  the  inner  cone.     They 
put  their  sticks  into  these  crevices,  and  they  blazed  instan- 
taneously.    Then  putting  pennies,  and   enclosing  them  in 
the  still  soft  and  yielding  lava,  they  raised  it  in  a  portion  of 
the  lava  with  their  sticks,  and  this  feat  performed,  returned 
to  us  with  their  trophies.     It  looked  venturesome,  as  we  re- 
garded  them  near  four  hundred  feet  below  us,  the  red  h( 
stones   apparently   falling  around     them,    and    when  thej 
reached  us,  bearing  the  proofs  of  their  progress,  the  penniesi 
enveloped  in  lava,  were  still  so  warm,  that  we  could  not  bear| 
them  in  our  hands.     They  said  some  of  the  stones  fell  with- 
in  three  feet  of  them,  and  suspecting  there  was  "  malaria" 
in  the  neighborhood,  thought  it  advisable  to  withdraw.  TheJ 
inner  ascent  is  quite  as  fatiguing  as  the  outer  ones,  and  the 
gentlemen  required  a  little  time  to  recover  their  breath  and! 
strength.     We  then,  with  the  two  Englishmen,  commenced* 
our  descent.     Instead  of  going  over  the  broken  lava,   byj 
which  we  ascended,  our  descent  was  made  on   the   part  co-?^ 


DESCENT  FROM  VESUVIUS.  193 

vered  with  ashes  or  sand,  mingled  with  blocks  of  lava.  We 
amused  ourselves  with  rolling  some  of  these  down  the 
side  of  the  volcano's  peak,  and  so  steep  and  precipi- 
tous is  it,  that  they  did  not  stop  in  their  headlong  course 
until  some  distance  on  the  level  at  its  base.  The  descent 
is  accomplished  \vith  ease  and  safety  if  you  go  slowly  ;  but 
every  step  you  sink  fa,r  above  the  ancle  in  ashes,  and  your 
feet  being  thus  shackled,  any  attempt  to  go  fast,  brings  you  to 
the  ground.  One  of  the  Englishmen  with  us,  yielded  to  the 
force  that  impels  you  downwards,  and  from  walking  fast, 
was  soon  obliged  to  run.  He  could  not  stop  himself,  nor 
could  his  greatest  speed  answer  to  the  greater  impetus  that 
impelled  him  on.  He  was  at  last  precipitated  forward  many 
feet,  falling  upon  his  face  among  the  stones  and  sand,  w^here 
he  lay  like  one  dead.  I  cannot  describe  to  you  with  what 
anxiety  we  had  watched  his  rapid  career  with  such  rash 
and  daring  speed,  expecting  every  moment  to  see  him  dashed 
to  pieces,  We  hastened  to  the  spot  where  he  lay,  and 
on  raising  him,  found  his  face  dreadfully  cut  and  bruised, 
and  bleeding  profusely,  as  were  also  his  hands.  He  soon 
Ij^  recovered,  and  after  a  little  time  was  able  to  assure  us  that 
i'l  scratches  and  bruises  v/ere  all  the  injury  he  hai  received, 
?  though  there  were  enough  of  them,  and  his  really  handsome 
face  was  sadly  disfigured.  He  was  quite  sure  he  had  seen 
more  volcanoes  than  any  of  us,  and  said  there  was  any 
quantity  of  fire  where  he  first  struck.  We  offered  him  our 
travelling  companion- — a  flask  of  brandy — with  which  we 
are  always  provided,  to  use  in  case  of  sickness  or  accidents ; 
with  this  he  bathed  his  wounds,  bearing  it  like  a  hero,  but 
his  friends  would  not  allow  of  any  inward  application,  nor 
did  we  think  it  advisable.  They  assisted  him  to  rise,  and 
after  a  little  while  he  was  able  to  proceed  without  assist- 
ance. 

We  did  not  forget  in  our  descent  to  look  upon  the  lovely 
9 


194  SCENE    FROM    VESUVIUS. 

landscape  below.  Lovely  it  always  is ;  but  though  the 
pureness  of  the  atmosphere  allowed  us  a  clear  and  distinct 
view  of  the  islands  and  mountains  stretching  far  away  into 
the  blue  waters  of  the  Mediterranean,  the  pretty  villages 
scattered  over  the  amphitheatre  of  hills  which  form  the  en- 
virons, and  the  whole  of  the  palace-lined  crescent  of  the  bay, 
all  outspread  below  us,  I  did  not  admire  it  as  much  as  other 
less  extensive  but  more  beautiful  views  which  you  have  from 
many  points  about  Naples,  particularly  from  the  heights  of 
the  "  Campo  Santa,"  the  new  cemetery.  Near  the  place 
where  we  regain  our  horses,  government  is  erecting  a  hand- 
some building  from  the  huge  blocks  of  lava  around,  which 
is  to  serve  as  a  place  of  refreshment  for  man  and  beast,  and 
as  a  station  from  whence  telegraphic  notice  is  to  be  given 
when  an  eruption  takes  place,  that  all  may  come  out  to  see* 


HERCULANEUM.  195 


LETTER  XXI. 

HERCULANEUM THE  CAMPO-SARITA A  BURIAL THE 

GROTTO  OF  CAPRI,  &;C. 

Naples. 
We  paused  on  our  return  from  Vesuvius  to  witness  at 
Herculaneum  the  effects  of  its  mysterious  and  marvellous 
workings.  Its  theatre  is  half  excavated,  but  owing  to  its 
being  immediately  under  the  king's  palace  at  Portici,  cannot 
be  altogether  disinterred.  It  has  been  sufficiently  cleared, 
however,  to  give  one  an  idea  of  its  size,  form  and  magnifi- 
cence ;  and  as  it  has  to  be  viewed  by  torchlight,  you  may 
fancy  our  singular  procession,  each  bearing  a  light,  thread- 
ing the  subterranean  windings  of  this  huge  imbedded  edifice. 
Every  space  and  crevice  seems  to  have  been  filled  with  the 
melted  lava  which  consolidated  into  a  firm  and  solid  cement, 
enveloping  all  and  every  thing  ;  and  the  skill  and  labor 
evinced  in  clearing  the  beautiful  statues  found  here  from  the 
hard  and  rocky  substance  enwrapping  them,  seem  equal  to 
their  first  creation  by  the  sculptor.  In  the  neighborhood  of 
this,  they  have  cleared  quite  a  space,  and  brought  to  the 
light  of  day  and  the  open  air,  a  square  with  streets,  houses, 
and  the  beautiful  colonnade  of  a  large  and  handsome  temple, 
which,  surrounded  with  the  dark,  dirty,  and  dingy  houses  of 
the  modern  Italians,  had  a  strange  and  singular  aspect. 
The  sun  had  set  when  we  left  these  dwellings  of  a  by-gone 
age,  but  the  west  was  glowing  with  the  reflection  of  his 
parting  rays,  of  which  we  caught  glimpses  between  the 
houses  as  we  drove  rapidly  past.  On  reaching  our  hotel,  we 
•  were  gratified  to  find  an  invitation  from  our  Charge,  Mr.  B., 


196  POMPEII. 


to  his  box  at  the  opera,  and  as  "  II  Puritani"  was  to  be  per- 
formed, we  hastened  our  preparations,  and  passed  a  delightful 
evening  listening  to  fine  music  and  the  conversation  of  Mr. 
B.  and  a  friend  to  whom  he  introduced  us.  When  this  was 
over,  you  may  imagine  we  were  glad  enough  to  retire  aft^r 
a  day  of  so   much  pleasure,  excitement  and  fatigue. 

After  this,  I  think  I  cannot  do  better  than  give  you  an  ac- 
count of  a  day  spent  at  Pompeii.  The  excavations  at  Her- 
culaneum  require  so  much  time,  labor,  and  expense,  that  a 
long  time  will  elapse  before  much  will  be  accomplished,  while 
Pompeii,  being  covered  only  with  ashes,  has  a  great  portion 
of  it  already  disinterred.  You  walk  through  quite  a  city  of 
ruined  and  rooffless  dwellings, — you  behold  the  manner  in 
which  they  divided  their  houses,  their  fine  open  court-yards, 
with  cisterns  at  the  corners,  and  reservoirs  for  fish  in  the 
centre  of  each,  and  their  numerous  large  and  commodious 
baths,  considered  not  only  a  luxury,  but  a  necessity.  Then 
the  beautiful  frescoes  of  the  walls,  the  colors  still  fresh  and 
the  figures  distinct,  which  embellished  every  room  ;  the 
niches  for  statues  that  ornamented  many,  and  the  fine  mo- 
saics forming  the  beautiful  pavements  of  the  lower  apart- 
ments ;  these,  with  the  gardens  beautified  with  terraces, 
fountains,  reservoirs,  and  marble  ornaments,  especially  those 
attached  to  the  villas  of  Cicero,  Sallust,  and  the  rich  Dio- 
medes,  attest  the  luxury  of  these  wealthy  cits,  as  the  mag- 
nificent temples,  the  splendid  monuments,  and  the  fountains 
at  the  corner  of  every  street,  give  evidence  of  the  splendor 
and  elegance  of  the  city  which  they  inhabited.  We  spent 
some  five  hours  in  walking  through  these  ancient  dwellings 
and  streets.  In  the  latter  may  still  be  seen  the  marks  worn 
by  the  wheels  which  rolled  over  them  near  eighteen  hun- 
dred years  ago.  At  intervals  are  raised  stones  for  the  con- 
venience of  foot-passengers  in  crossing.  It  is  curious  to 
see  in  the  collection  of  the  museum  at   Naples,  taken  from 


A    DAY    AT    POMPEII.  197 

• 

this  entombed  city,  how  many  things  of  every-day  use  they 
had,  to  which  those  of  the  present  time  bear  close  resem- 
blance ;  many,  too,  that  have  been  considered  modern  in- 
ventions. How  wonderful  is  it  to  look  upon  things  which 
formed  part  of  the  household  furniture  of  beings  who  had 
their  existence  centuries  ago — things  that  were  necessary 
to  their  ordinary  every-day  life  ;  objects  which  made  a  part 
of  their  domestic  comforts  ;  beautiful  creations  contributing 
to  their  enjoyment  and  delight — so  many  things  thought 
essential  to  actual  or  ideal  happiness.  Here  you  walk  past 
the  dwellings  of  those  who  lived,  with  its  number  to  dis- 
tinguish it,  and  perhaps  a  name  and  some  simple  insignia, 
denoting  the  handicraft  of  the  occupant — here  is  the  grind- 
stone and  hopper  of  the  miller,  there  the  oven  of  the  baker 
— in  one  the  study  of  the  poet,  in  another  the  studio  of  the 
artist  ;  while  all  are  decorated  with  beautiful  imaginings  of 
the  painter  and  the  sculptor.  Extending  your  walk  beyond 
the  gates  of  the  city,  you  see  the  kind  provision  for  belated 
and  benighted  travellers  arriving  too  late  to  enter,  in  the 
large  caravansary  erected  just  without  the  walls.  And  along 
the  way-side,  on  either  hand,  denoting  the  dwellings  of  their 
dead,  are  monuments,  vaults  and  tablets,  with  memorial 
inscriptions  written  by  those  who  lived  and  loved.  A  little 
beyond  the  precincts  of  the  exhumed  city,  you  ascend  a  high 
mound  where,  still  hidden  as  it  were  in  the  bowels  of  the 
earth,  lie  unrevealed  yet  other  mysteries  of  the  age  in  which 
they  were  engulphed.  How  imposing  and  awe-inspiring 
are  the  scenes  here  presented  !  Mysterious  and  awful  are 
the  convulsions  of  nature — strange  and  wonderful  in  their 
effects  !  What  a  field  does  Naples  afford  to  the  geologist, 
naturalist,  and  mineralogist!  On  one  of  the  promontories 
of  its  bay,  one  point  of  its  crescent,  are  two  cones,  one 
probably  the  crater  of  a  volcano  now  extinct.  Between 
this  and  the  present  active  crater,  Vesuvius,  is  a  valley.  On 


198  CATACOMBS. 


the  sides  and  base  of  both  are  nestling  beautiful  villages, 
the  soil  of  their  fruitful  vineyards  warmed  by  the  slumbering 
fires  beneath.  Many  of  them  are  planted  on  the  site  of 
some  long  buried  village  once  fair  and  lovely  as  themselves, 
and  nearly  all  of  which  have  suffered  more  or  less  from  their 
near  vicinity  to  this  great  safety-valve  of  the  earth.  On 
the  opposite  side  of  the  bay,  the  other  point  of  the  crescent, 
are  the  ruined  cities  of  Baise,  Puozzioli,  Cumse,  and  Triper- 
gola,  the  two  last  altogether  hidden  from  human  sight  or 
ken.  Turn  where  we  may,  beauty  and  destruction  meet  the 
eye  ;  and  we  feel  as  if  treading  on  a  mine  that  may  at  any 
moment  burst  upon  us  with  all  its  horrors.  We  had  our 
picnic  amid  the  remains  of  one  of  its  fair  and  ruined  tem- 
ples, then  drove  some  distance  and  took  our  leave  of  buried 
Pompeii  from  the  same  place  whence  it  is  supposed  the 
Pompeiians  themselves  looked  their  last  upon  the  city  of  their 
love,  buried  and  hidden  before  their  tearful  gaze.  This 
was  their  amphitheatre,  still  quite  perfect  in  its  form,  giving 
us  a  correct  idea  of  the  size  and  manner  of  constructing 
the  ancient  theatres.  On  our  return,  there  was  still  time 
to  devote  to  some  other  object  we  had  not  yet  seen,  so  we 
drove  first  to  the  catacombs.  As  I  have  already  described 
others,  it  will  be  necessary  only  to  mention  some  points  of 
difierence.  Those  of  Naples  are  superior  to  those  of  Malta 
or  Syracuse  ; — they  consist  of  three  stories  or  ranges,  one 
above  the  other,  are  quite  lofty,  with  fine  wide  passages 
beautifully  arched,  and  are  ornamented  with  frescoes.  The 
places  for  interment  are  in  chambers  ;  but  the  divisions, 
instead  of  being  placed  side  by  side,  are  one  above  the  other ; 
they  are  much  more  regular,  built  with  more  order  and 
method,  than  any  we  have  seen,  and  are  also  still  more  ex- 
tensive. Many  of  them  contain  bones  and  skulls,  and  there 
6  a  large  pit,  where  are  bones  thickly  mingled  with  the 
earth,  in  which  they   buried  those  who  died  of  the  plague. 


CAMPO    SANTA.  199 


Leaving  this,  we  visited  the  different  cemeteries.  First  is  the 
new  "  Campo  Santa,"  beautifully  laid  out,  and  handsomely 
ornamented  v/ith  plants  and  flowers,  forming  a  delightful  re- 
sort for  the  inhabitants  for  a  walk  or  ride,  and  commanding 
from  its  highest  point  one  of  the  most  charming  views  to  be 
had  from  any  part  of  Naples.  There  are  very  many  ele- 
gant mausoleums  and  other  monuments,  with  a  profusion  of 
flowers  and  shrubs  to  beautify  and  adorn  them.  Attached 
to  this,  is  a  cemetery  for  such  of  the  poor  as  can  afford  to 
pay  for  their  burial.  It  is  a  large  and  spacious  square,  en- 
closed by  high  walls,  with  a  smooth  and  solid  stone  pave- 
ment. Underneath  is  a  huge  vault  divided  into  cells.  A 
stone  in  the  pavement  made  to  raise,  is  the  entrance  into 
these  huge  graves,  some  of  which  are  owned  by  associations, 
or  a  number  of  families. 

Leaving  these  cities  of  the  wealthy  dead,  we  drove  to  the 
old  Campo  Santa,  where  the  paupers,  or  those  who  cannot 
pay  for  their  burial,  are  interred.  This  is  an  enclosure 
exactly  similar  to  the  one  we  have  just  visited.  The  vault 
beneath  is  divided  into  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  cells, 
answering  in  number  to  the  days  in  the  year.  These  are 
each  sixteen  feet  square  and  twenty  deep,  which  will  give 
you  some  idea  of  the  size  of  the  enclosure. 

These  cells  have  each  an  opening  in  the  pavement  like  a 
trap-door.  Every  morning  one  is  opened,  and  at  eight  in 
the  evening  the  burials,  in  number  from  ten  to  twenty,  take 
place.  The  man  raised  the  stone  to  give  us  a  view  of  the 
interior ;  it  had  been  closed  just  a  year,  and  nothing  was  to 
be  seen  within  but  a  few  bones  mingled  with  the  earth  on 
which  they  lay,  and  all  the  odor  perceptible  was  a  damp 
earthy  smell.  While  we  were  there,  a  body  was  brought 
in  a  gaily  painted  box,  from  the  hospital  of  the  poor,  and  the 
man  who  bore  it  on  his  head,  after  setting  it  down,  offered 
to  show  it  us,  and  I  suppose  would  have  gladly  done  so  for  a 


200  THE  GROTTO  OF  CAFRI. 

carlini,  (about  eight  cents)  but  we  had  no  such  desire. 
The  boxes  are  made  to  open  at  one  end,  which  is  placed  at 
the  mouth  of  the  cell,  and  the  bodies  slide  into  it  uncoffined 
and  unknelled,  though  a  priest  reads  the  prayers,  and  sprin- 
kles holy  water  over  them.  Quick-lime  is  then  thrown  into 
the  cell,  when  it  is  closed,  to  be  opened  again  on  the  same 
day  of  the  next  year. 

Before  closing  this  long  letter,  I  will  mention  an  excur- 
sion from  which  we  have  just  returned.  This  morning  we 
availed  ourselves  of  an  opportunity  that  does  not  often 
occur,  of  a  steamer  excursion  to  Capri,  to  visit  the  rocky 
looking  islet  celebrated  chiefly  for  the  picturesque  views 
afforded  by  its  lofty  cliffs,  and  the  ruins  of  the  palace  of  Ti- 
berius, with  other  of  his  splendid  constructions,  now,  how- 
ever, too  ruinous  to  afford  any  certainty  of  their  original 
nature.  A  singular  grotto,  discovered  a  few  years  ago,, 
seems  to  be  at  present  the  great  attraction.  It  is  called  the 
"  azure  grot,"  from  the  deep  and  peculiar  blue  of  its  waters  ; 
and  when  the  sun  shines  into  it,  the  reflection  upon  its  sta- 
lactited  roof  is  very  beautiful.  It  was  a  good  two  hours'  sail, 
and  there  was  suflicient  motion  to  make  many  sick,  and  all 
uncomfortable.  The  day  was,  however,  warm  and  clear, 
and  we  had  a  fine  view  of  Naples,  its  bay,  and  beautiful 
environs.  As  soon  as  we  reached  Capri,  and  were  station- 
ary, the  passengers  all  put  off  in  boats  for  the  grotto  ;  and, 
after  rowing  half  an  hour  over  tossing  waves,  we  reached 
the  small  entrance  of  the  ocean  cave.  The  entrance  was 
through  a  long  and  narrow  arch,  so  small  that  only  boats  of 
a  peculiar  construction  can  make  their  way — but  two  per- 
sons can  go  in  them,  and  these  must  placet  hemselves  in  the 
bottom  of  the  boat  in  a  horizontal  position.  A  great  degree 
of  skill  and  address  is  necessary  to  pass  through,  and  we 
were  sometime  tossing  about  the  entrance,  the  waves  dash- 
ing furiously  against  our  frail  bark  as  we  entered.     Within 


A    DISAPPOINTMEXT.  201 

is  a  long,  low  vaulted  chamber,  blue  above  and  blue  beneath, 
and  all  the  animate  within  were  of  the  same  true  blue.  In 
the  summer  months,  there  is  a  boy  who  swims  in  for  the 
amusement  and  pleasure  of  visiters,  and  his  appearance  is 
likened  to  a  silver  frog.  For  my  part,  I  was  glad  to  beat  a 
retreat,  and  get  safely  out ;  many  got  well  sprinkled,  and  one 
gentleman  of  our  party  was  completely  drenched  from  his 
hat  to  his  boots,  which  was  unfortunate,  as  there  was  no  pos- 
sibility of  a  change  till  our  return  to  Naples.  Returning, 
we  landed  at  the  village  of  Capri,  and  with  a  guide  com- 
menced our  ascent  by  a  narrow  mule-path  leading  to  the 
ruins ;  after  we  had  toiled  up  to  a  pretty  good  height,  and 
supposed  we  had  reached  our  journey's  end,  we  were  told 
it  was  still  an  hour  farther,  and  would  take  an  hour  to  de- 
scend. This  was  a  disappointment,  as  the  steamer's  return 
would  not  allow  us  time  to  go  on,  so  without  more  ado  we 
retraced  our  steps,  unable  to  see  the  palace  of  the  Emperor 
— contenting  ourselves  with  the  fine  views  our  toilsome 
walk  had  obtained  for  us. 

9* 


202  LAKE    AVERNUS. 


LETTER  XXII. 

MONTE       NUOVO THE      SYBIl's      GROTTO THE     BATHS     OF 

NERO THE    PISCENA ARCO    FELICE TEMPLE    OF    JUPI- 
TER    SERAPIS SOLFATARA GROTTO    DEL    CANE POSIL- 

LIPPO PJESTUaM "  KNOCKING     OFF     THE     CHURCHEs" 

ST.    JANUARIUS. 

My  Dear  Brother  : — I  put  no  date  at  the  commence- 
ment of  this,  but  will  merely  premise  that  I  am  writing  it 
on  a  rainy  day  at  Rome,  where  we  arrived  the  last  day  of 
the  year  1843.  The  weather  precludes  all  sight-seeing, 
and,  for  my  part,  I  am  in  a  state  particularly  eligible  for  a 
day 'of  quiet  enjoyment  within,  after  fifteen  days  of  constant 
sight-seeing  and  marvel-hunting.  Here,  by  the  by,  I  think 
I  have  already  committed  a  bull,  (an  Irish  one,  at  least,) 
and  you  will  not  require  much  cyphering  to  make  out  the 
date  of  my  letter.  Anything  of  this  kind  need  not  surprise 
you,  hailing  as  I  do  from  the  heart  of  the  Papal  dominions, 
and  inhaling  as  I  do,  the  "malaria"  of  the  Vatican.  I 
have  given,  in  my  last  letter,  an  account  of  my  excursion  to 
Vesuvius,  and  some  other  matters,  and  now  instead  of  giv- 
ing a  detail  of  the  ruins  of  the  eternal  city,  I  intend  writing 
my  "  Souvenirs  of  Naples,"  and  dedicating  them  to  yourself. 
So  now  we  will  set  out  at  once  upon  our  excursion  to 
the  environs  of  that  city.  In  one  of  these,  we  paused  at 
the  lake  Avernus,  the  Tartarus  of  Virgil,  a  lake  formed  in 
the  mouth  of  an  extinct  volcano,  and  so  poisonous,  that  birds 
were  said  to  fall  in  flying  over  it ;  but  it  is  now  a  beautiful, 
placid  sheet  of  water,  and  can  possess  no  such  deleterious 
qualities,  as  myriads  of  birds  were  resting  upon  the  surface 


sybil's  grot.  203 


of  its  quiet  waters.  Near  this  is  Monte  Nuovo,  formed  in 
three  days  during  the  earthquake  of  1538,  which  filled  up 
part  of  the  Lucrene  lake,  driving  its  waters  for  a  time  upon 
the  site  of  the  temple  of  Jupiter  Serapis.  Wending  our 
way  along  the  shores  of  the  lake,  a  short  walk  brings  us  to 
the  Sybil's  Grot.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  lake,  are  the 
picturesque  ruins  of  the  temple  of  Diana.  Entering  the 
archway  of  the  grot,  we  found  ourselves  in  a  long,  vaulted 
passage  ;  I  should  judge,  near  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  length. 
There  are  doubts  as  to  the  original  use  of  the  passage ;  but 
the  most  plausible  purpose  seems  to  be,  that  of  a  subterra- 
nean canal  for  the  conveyance  of  water  to  some  baths  or 
temple  in  its  neighborhood.  After  traversing  the  passages 
to  near  its  exti^mity,  we  turned  into  a  side  entrance,  and 
descending  a  few  paces,  our  guides  plunged  into  water  near 
three  feet  deep,  then  turning  their  backs,  desired  us  to 
mount ;  and  in  this  novel  manner,  we  were  carried  through 
rooms  where  day-light  never  entered,  and,  by  the  aid  of 
torch  lights,  viewed  the  different  apartments  and  baths,  said 
to_have  been  Used  by  the  Cumaean  Sybil ;  but  to  me  they 
seemed  more  like  the  apartments  and  compartments  in  the 
catacombs  of  Malta  and  Syracuse,  The  water  which  now 
fills  the  apartments  was  not  formerly  here,  but  was  driven 
in  by  the  same  earthquake  that  filled  up  the  Lucrene  lake. 
I  was  heartily  glad  when  we  were  well  through  with  this, 
and  began  to  retrace  our  steps,  as  the  guide  did  not  hold  me 
at  all,  and  I  was  obliged  to  cling  with  all  my  strength  by 
my  arms  round  his  neck,  and  felt  in  danger  every  moment 
of  slipping  off*  the  back  of  my  "good  jack,"  as  he  called 
himself,  into  the  water,  through  which  I  was  borne  like 
Sinbad  the  sailor.  Monte  Nuovo,  though  it  has  remained 
perfectly  extinct  since  its  first  formation,  still  retains  its  con- 
ical shape,  and  the  form  of  its  crater  is  distinctly  seen, 
but  it  is  said  to  be  gradually  diminishing.     Leaving  this,  we 


204  BATHS    OF    WEEO. 


drove  along  a  level  space  once  covered  by  the  sea,  which 
has  retreated  to  a  short  distance  only.  We  passed  the  ru- 
ined temples  of  Mercury  and  Venus,  their  huge  remains 
giving  an  idea  of  their  form,  extent  and  grandeur,  but  none 
of  their  beauty  or  magnificence.  On  our  right,  rising  ab- 
ruptly to  a  great  height,  are  the  immense  mounds  of  ashes, 
containing  the  ruins  of  the  village  of  Tripergola,  which 
ruins  protrude  themselves  from  the  face  of  the  high  ground 
all  along  the  roadside  ;  and  you  may  trace  in  the  broken 
banks  of  earth,  the  pavements  of  streets,  the  division  of 
their  houses,  and  even  the  frescoes  that  embellished  the 
walls.  Following  this  road,  half  an  hour  brought  us  to  the 
baths  of  Nero,  the  entrance  to  which  is  by  an  opening  in 
the  face  of  the  rock,  some  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  above  the 
road,  and  from  this  opening,  clouds  of  vapor  might  be  seen 
rolling  from  within.  We  ascended  by  a  footpath  which  led 
from  the  road,  and  no  sooner  had  we  entered,  than  the 
"  man  of  the  cave,"  stripping  himself  of  his  clothes,  with 
the  exception  of  a  pair  of  thin  trowsers,  took  a  lighted  torch, 
a  couple  of  eggs,  and  a  wooden  pail,  and  disappeared 
through  a  narrow  passage,  into  which  we  followed.  I,  how- 
ever,  had  not  proceeded  more  than  two  rods,  when,  over- 
powered by  the  heat,  and  suffocated  by  the  vapor,  I  begged 
to  be  allowed  to  return,  and  made  my  way  out ;  and  it  was 
not  long  before  my  companions  were  obliged  to  do  likewise. 
In  about  three  minutes,  we  heard  the  man  returning  at  a 
pretty  quick  pace,  gasping  and  moaning ;  and  presently  he 
rushed  into  the  cave,  his  torch  in  one  hand,  and  the  pail  filled 
with  steaming  water,  and  the  eggs  in  the  other ;  these  he 
quickly  disposed  of,  then  sat  down  and  began  wiping  off  the 
vapor  and  perspiration  which  was  pouring  off  him  in 
streams  ;  but  happily,  as  our  cicerone  said,  he  soon  recovered 
his  "  sang  froid,"  and  claimed  his  usual  bonus.  The  water 
in  the  pail  was  so  hot  that  we  could  not  bear  our  fingers  in 


CUMiE.  205 


it  an  instant,  and  the  eggs  were  sufficiently  cooked  to  eat. 
Leaving  the  cave,  we  went  a  few  rods  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  road  to  the  shore  Avashed  by  the  waves  of  the  Med- 
iterranean, and  at  the  water's  edge,  dug  away  the  sand  to 
the  depth  of  the  hand ;  the  sands  were  so  hot  that  we  could 
not  hold  them,  and  dropped  them  instantly;  and  this  so  near 
the  sea,  that  the  waves  dashed  upon  our  feet.  After  visit- 
ing the  Piscena,  a  huge  subterranean  reservoir  which  fur- 
nished water  and  kept  fish  for  the  fleet  stationed  at  Misena, 
the  principal  Roman  station  in  the  Mediterranean,  we  look- 
ed into  the  "  hundred  chambers,"  supposed  to  have  been  the 
prisons  of  Nero,  then  visited  another  grot  of  the  Cumaean 
Sybil.  From  these  we  drove  to  the  temple  of  Apollo,  situ- 
ated on  the  heights  of  the  ancient  Cumas,  from  whence  we 
had  a  fine  view  of  the  seas,  the  bays,  and  towns  along  the 
Mediterranean  shores,  besides  a  good  idea  of  the  extent 
and  grandeur  of  this  ancient  city,  now  in  ruins  in  the  earth 
beneath  us.  We  could  follow  the  traces  of  its  ancient 
walls,  and  at  some  distance  beheld  the  Arco  Felice,  the  an- 
cient gate  of  the  city,  still  in  perfect  preservation.  Every- 
thing around  betokened  a  volcanic  region;  the  height  on 
which  we  stood,  the  buried  ruins  beneath  our  feet,  the  many 
conical  shaped  hills  and  crater-like  declivities,  the  subter- 
ranean heat  we  had  so  lately  witnessed,  with  Vesuvius  be- 
fore us,  pouring  forth  fire  and  smoke,  at  this  very  time,  were 
all  each  tangible  and  ocular  demonstration  of  the  danger- 
ous ground  on  which  we  stood. 

Of  all  the  places  which  we  have  yet  visited,  there  is  none 
where  I  have  been  more  deeply  interested,  and  where  the  in- 
terest has  been  so  constant,  so  true  and  so  lasting,  as  at  Na- 
ples. I  have  looked  with  delight  upon  the  varied  beauties 
of  its  landscape,  and  dwelt  with  awe  and  admiration  upon 
the  natural  wonders  with  which  it  is  invested,   and  with 


206  THE    TEMPLE    OF 


which  its  very  site  and  foundations  are   teeming,    arising 
from,  and  peculiar  to,  the  volcanic  nature  of  the  country. 

Among  the  objects  most  interesting,  is  the  temple  of  Ju- 
piter Serapis.  I  was  perhaps  more  desirous  to  see  this, 
from  having  so  often  heard  it  spoken  of,  from  having  fre- 
quently read  of  it,  and  also  from  having  heard  Professor  Ly- 
ell  introduce  and  describe  it  in  his  lecture  upon  volcanoes 
and  earthquakes.  All  the  whys  and  wherefore,  causes  and 
effects,  pros  and  cons,  as  to  its  submergence  and  upheaval, 
have  been  so  frequently  discussed  by  those  able  and  com- 
petent to  the  task,  I  will  give  you  only  a  matter-of-fact  des- 
cription, which  may  convey  to  you  some  idea  of  its  present 
appearance.  It  has,  like  very  many  other  things  here,  been 
enclosed,  to  insure  its  better  preservation  and  a  fee.  You 
descend  a  few  steps  from  the  road  or  street,  and  entering 
through  the  gate  of  a  broad  enclosure,  spread  out  before 
you  is  an  immense  platform  of  white  marble — the  pavement 
of  this  magnificent  temple  ;  magnificent  in  its  ruin,  how 
splendid  may  it  not  have  been  in  its  perfection?  and  this 
pavement,  though  covered  now  with  two  feet  of  water,  still 
retains  the  singular  purity  and  whiteness  of  its  original  col- 
or. Raised  footpaths,  or  narrow  bridges  of  mason-work, 
have  been  constructed  in  various  directions  over  this  plat- 
form, to  enable  visiters  to  see  and  examine  its  every  part ; 
remains  of  four  flights  of  marble  steps  descend  from  its  rais- 
ed centre,  and  near  one  of  these  are  still  remaining  the 
rings  to  which  the  animals  about  to  be  sacrificed  were  fas- 
tened, as  are  also  the  receptacles  of  their  blood  and  ashes. 
Three  only  of  its  tall  and  massive  pillars  of  Cipolene  re- 
main erect,  though  the  broken  and  mutilated  fragments  of 
many  lie  scattered  around  ;  most  of  them  have  been  taken 
to  ornament  the  palaces  of  the  kings  of  Naples  and  of  Spain. 
In  those  remaining,  it  is  curious  to  observe  the  holes  bored 
in  them  by  a  species  of  muscle  while  submerged,  and  there 


JUPITER    SEEAPIS.  207 


is  also  distinctly  seen  the  watermark,  showing  that  they  re- 
mained partly  above  water  for  some  time,  and  that  one  ef- 
fort or  convulsion  of  nature,  did  not  effect  its  total  submer- 
sion. All  these  are  spoken  of  by  Lyell,  and  treated  accord- 
ing to  his  opinion,  though  doctors  do  and  will  differ.  I  am 
not  quite  sure,  but  think  I  have  somewhere  read  that  this 
was  the  last  temple  erected  by  the  fire-worshippers,  and  that 
from  its  destruction,  together  with  the  progress  Christianity 
had  made,  this  form  of  worship  declined,  and  the  majestic 
orb  of  day  ceased  to  be  an  object  of  adoration,  his  lesser 
glory  being  absorbed  or  extinguished  by  the  superior  efful- 
gence of  the  Sun  of  righteousness  ;  this,  if  true,  adds  to  the 
interest  with  which  we  view  these  picturesque  ruins.  It 
was  also  supposed  there  were  baths  attached  to  the  temple, 
where  those  of  its  worshippers  who  were  ill  or  feeble,  were 
brought  to  bathe  in  its  consecrated  waters,  and  it  was  to  me 
a  cause  of  wonder  to  see  these  baths,  notwithstanding  the 
alleged  submergence  and  upheaval  of  the  temple,  still  in 
use,  resorted  to  by  invalids,  and  pouring  forth  volumes  of  va- 
por, caused  by  the  great  natural  internal  heat.  It  is  the 
geological  phenomena  associated  with  this  temple  that  most 
attract  us  to  it,  and  force  us  to  regard  it  with  mixed  feelings 
of  wonder  and  admiration,  though  enough  remains  of  its  for- 
mer grandeur  and  magnificence,  together  with  the  field  of 
marble  ruins  which  formerly  composed  its  sides  and  roof,  its 
broken  columns,  with  their  scattered  pediments  and  capitals, 
to  induce  us  to  look  upon  it  with  delight,  as  a  beautiful  and 
majestic  specimen  of  man's  creation. 

But  we  must  not  linger  longer  here.  You  must  go  with 
me  now  to  the  extinct  volcano,  the  Solfatara  ;  it  is  a  good 
mile,  and  all  up-hill  work.  I,  as  one  of  the  weaker  vessels, 
am  provided  with  a  donkey ;  all  the  rest,  being  good  pedes- 
trians, make  their  way  on  foot.  Soon  tiring,  however,  with 
the  dull  progress  of  my  slow,  but  sure-footed  little  drudge,  I 


208  THE    SOLFATARA. 


took  to  my  feet,  and  led  off  the  file  with  good  speed  and  spir- 
it, leaving  the  patient  animal  to  take  his  time.  We  ascend- 
ed to  the  summit  of  the  cone,  now  a  beautifully  green  and 
verdant  hill,  the  crater  forming  a  hollow  within  almost  to 
its  base,  as  if  all  its  former  varied  contents  had  been  scoop- 
ed out,  leaving  it  a  huge  bowl,  covered  within  as  without 
with  a  bright  and  vivid  green.  But  as  if  to  give  evidence 
of  its  ci-devant  dangerous  concomitant  and  vicious  propensi- 
ties, and  belying  its  present  calm  and  placid  seeming,  a  thick 
sulphurous  smoke  was  seen  to  issue  from  fissures  in  its  gras- 
sy bed,  and  on  one  side  a  heap  of  chalky  and  sulphurous 
rubbish  had  been  thrown  from  the  bowels  of  the  cone,  while 
a  dense  white  vapor  was  pouring  from  its  midst.  This 
was  all  that  presented  itself  here,  but  another  day  we  made 
an  excursion  to  a  part  near  the  base  of  the  cone,  where 
were  several  pits  dug  in  its  side,  from  whence  is  procured 
sulphur,  mercury,  vitriol,  ammonia,  alum,  and  a  beautiful 
chalk  used  by  the  soldiers  in  cleaning  their  trappings. 
What  a  perfect  laboratory  nature  has  here  of  her  own !  and 
affording  her  productions  in  such  quantities  that  loaded  don- 
keys were  constantly  passing  us  by.  Our  cicerone  next 
took  us  to  a  small  building  constructed  of  rough  boards 
against  the  side  of  the  cone  ;  this  was  a  sulphur  bath,  and 
standing  as  we  did  on  the  ground  parallel  with  its  roof, 
were  enabled  to  apply  an  ear  to  the  top  of  the  low  chimney, 
and  could  distinctly  hear  the  bubbling  of  the  hot  boiling 
spring  beneath  ;  near  this  were  fissures  or  openings  to  which 
the  guide  applied  blazing  matches,  which  were  instantly  ex- 
tinguished. We  extended  our  walk  still  farther  to  visit  the 
remains  of  an  amphitheatre,  then  returned  to  the  town,  pass- 
ing through  a  square  ornamented  with  antique  statues,  to 
the  water-side.  Puozzioli,  where  St.  Paul  landed  on  his 
way  from  Syracuse,  had  formerly  one  of  the  finest  ports  in 
Italy ;  and  on  the  arches  of  its  superb  mole  was  constructed 


THE    TOMB    OF    VIRGIL.  209 

Caligula's  famous  bridge.  Remains  of  the  huge  piers  of  the 
mole  may  still  be  discerned  above  the  water.  This  finish- 
ed  the  day ;  our  drive  to  Naples  along  the  shore  of  its  bay, 
by  the  glowing  light  of  a  true  Italian  sunset,  was  delightful. 
The  morning  after,  we  were  early  "  en  route'^  on  our  way 
to  the  Grotto  del  Cane.  Our  way  going  and  returning,  took 
us  through  the  wonderful  grotto  of  Posillipo,  once  perhaps 
a  natural  grot,  but  from  modern  improvements  an  almost  in- 
terminable tunnel.  .  Being  near  the  city,  and  serving  as  a 
common  thoroughfare  for  the  people  of  the  neighboring  vil- 
lages, it  is  always  filled  with  a  motley  assemblage  of  horses, 
mules  and  donkeys,  the  dun  ox,  or  dunner  buffalo,  goats  and 
dogs,  with  an  equal  variety  of  bipeds,  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren, carriages,  carts,  and  the  unique  Neapolitan  one-horse 
chaise  ;  and  from  its  pitchy  darkness,  being  necessarily  light- 
ed by  small  glimmering  lamps,  one  might  aptly  fancy  him- 
self, not  in  the  hunting  grounds  of  the  rising  sun  that  our 
Indians  dream  of, but  in  some  place  in  the  netherworld,  ap- 
propriated peculiarly  to  the  noisy  Neapolitans.  On  the  sum- 
mit of  this  grot,  at  the  end  toward  Naples,  the  eye  lights  up- 
on a  beautiful  and  picturesque  object,  no  less  than  the  tomb 
of  Virgil.  It  is,  as  I  said,  situated  upon  the  arch  of  entrance. 
When  viewed  from  the  street  below,  the  eye  measures  a 
long  distance  upward,  before  it  rests  upon  the  huge  grassy 
mound,  crowned  by  a  tall  holm  oak,  festooned  with  luxuri- 
ant vines  of  the  ivy  and  laurel,  which  cover  the  resting-place 
of  the  poet.  The  ascent  is  steep,  and  somewhat  difficult; 
but  after  attaining  the  height,  and  before  entering  the  house 
of  the  dead,  your  glance  is  directed  to  the  crowded  dwellings 
of  the  living,  which  lie  clustered  on  the  level  beneath,  with 
many  a  beautiful  adjunct,  lending  loveliness  to  the  charming 
landscape,  which  extends  itself  far  into  the  distance  ;  and  the 
name  of  the  spot  bears  this  beautiful  signification,  *'  Cessa- 
tion  from    sorrow."     The  scene  within  the  mausoleum  is 


SIO  GttOfTO   D^L   CANfi. 


vastly  different ;  I  can  compare  it  to  nothing  better  than  a 
large  oven.  It  is  a  dome,  the  interior  of  which  is  covered 
with  a  brown  stucco.  There  are  two  square  doors  opposite 
each  other ;  by  one  of  these,  you  enter;  before  the  other,  on  the 
inside,  is  placed  a  plain  white  slab  of  marble,  with  an  inscrip- 
tion, the  name  of  the  poet,  and  the  man  who  placed  it  there. 
Around  the  sides  of  the  dome  are  niches  for  cinerary  urns, 
but  empty  all ;  and  with  the  associations  arising  from  the 
ashes  of  the  great  songster,  you  have  .the  whole.  You  may 
be  sure  I  did  not  leave  the  spot  without  bearing  with  me  a 
memorial  from  the  "Ilex  canopy  of  Virgil's  Tomb." 

Arrived  at  the  Grotto  del  Cane,  we  found  the  owner 
awaiting  us,  and  ready  to  go  through  with  the  usual  experi- 
ments. This  grotto  is  of  a  height  at  the  entrance  sufficient 
to  allow  a  man  to  stand  upright;  but  its  interior  is  so  dark, 
that  I  could  not,  standing  outside,  judge  of  its  extent.  The 
exhibitions  here  are  as  painful  as  curious.  The  keeper  has 
two  dogs,  who  go  through  the  experiment  alternately,  when 
called  upon,  for  the  gratification  of  visiters.  One  of  them 
is  brought  just  within  the  mouth  of  the  cave  ;  he  is  then- 
made  to  lie  down,  near  to  the  place  whence  the  mephitic 
air  proceeds.  In  a  few  seconds,  he  is  grasping  as  if  in  the 
agonies  of  death ;  in  a  few  more,  he  froths  at  the  mouth, 
and  writhes  on  the  ground,  twitching  convulsively  in  every 
part ;  half  a  minute  is  as  long  as  they  are  submitted  to  the 
trial,  and  I  suppose  another  half  minute  would  suffice  to  put 
the  finishing  stroke  to  their  existence.  They  are  then  with- 
drawn, and  in  less  than  a  minute,  are  sufficiently  recovered 
to  demand  the  piece  of  bread  with  which  they  knew  their 
master  to  be  provided,  as  their  customary  fee  ;  they  are  not 
yet,  however,  able  to  eat  it;  but  remain  sometime  weak, 
faint,  and  trembling.  I  asked  if  the  dogs  lived  long  who 
were  subjected  to  these  experiments.  He  replied,  that  the 
one  who  had  just  gone  through  the  experiment,  had  been 


EXCURSION   TO    PiESTUMa  211 

through  the  same  for  twelve  years.  He  next  lighted  a  large 
torch  or  flambeau,  placing  it  blazing  near  the  ground,  when 
it  was  immediately  extinguished,  repeating  it  a  number  of 
times,  always  with  the  same  effect ;  while,  when  held  aloft, 
it  burned  freely.  The  smoke  caused  by  the  burning  torch, 
soon  settled  in  that  part  of  the  grot  where  the  gas  was 
most  powerful,  and  covered  the  ground  a  foot  in  depth,  hav- 
ing a  very  singular  appearance.  A  loaded  gun  will  not  go 
off  at  all,  and  this  closed  the  series  of  experiments.  I  have 
seen  something  of  this  kind,  when  attending  chemical  lec- 
tures, but  never  from  natural  causes,  and  have  read  of  them 
almost  as  fables.  This  terminated  the  duties  of  ^e  day, 
and  one  other  excursion  will  close  the  chapter. 

Early  on  a  bright  and  beautiful  morning  we  set  out 
for  Pgestum,  an  excursion  that  was  to  occupy  three  days. 
The  weather  was  clear  and  cool  ;  we  were  well  provid- 
ed for  the  inner  man  with  roast  chickens,  hard  boiled 
eggs,  and  Lachryma  Christi  ;  and  for  the  outer,  with 
plenty  of  cloaks  and  a  warm  blanket,  the  travelling  compa- 
nion of  one  of  our  party.  Our  road  was  along  the  water- 
side, the  same  I  described  on  our  way  to  Vesuvius.  We 
alighted  at  Portici,  and  were  shown  through  the  king's  pal- 
ace, and  its  beautiful  grounds,  once  the  favorite  residence  of 
Queen  Caroline  and  Murat,  the  gardens  of  which  she  did 
much  to  beautify.  The  fanciful  and  pretty  fort,  where  mi- 
mic tournaments  were  held,  was  of  her  creation.  The  pal- 
ace contains  some  fine  old  paintings,  and  antique  mosaic 
pavements  from  Pompeii.  We  passed  through  Torre  del 
Greece,  which  has  been  once  covered  with  lava,  the  present 
town  being  built  upon  the  site  of  the  buried  one  ; — La  Nun- 
ziata,  at  the  foot  of  Vesuvius,  where  are  the  Neapolitan 
powder-mills  and  magazines,  rather  a  dangerous  proximity, 
and  La  Cava,  one  of  the  most  picturesquely  situated  towns 
on  the  way,     "  It  is  a  Swiss  valley,  with  the  olives,  the  sea, 


212  RIDE    TO    PJESTUM. 


and  the  sun  of  Naples;"  all  the  country  around  is  beautifully 
interspersed  with  monasteries  and  terraced  vineyards,  beau- 
tiful villas,  with  hanging  gardens  and  orange  groves  ;  and 
perched  on  the  many  heights,  are  fine  old  ruined  castles. 
On  the  side  of  mount  Ferrestra,  is  the  monastery  of  La 
Trinita,  formerly  one  of  the  many  asylums  of  letters  which 
Italy  contained.  It  is  embowered  in  woods  and  groves,  en- 
closed by  high  mountains,  and  still  contains  historic  docu- 
ments, charters,  titles,  and  deeds  of  gift  of  those  sovereigns, 
who,  not  only  themselves,  but  whose  kingdoms  have  passed 
away.  It  had  also  acquired  the  title  of  the  penitentiary  of 
anti-p^es,  fromha  ving  been  the  asylum  of  a  number  of  dis- 
carded or  exiled  legates.  We  stopped  at  the  little  village 
of  Nocera,  and  walked  some  distance  down  a  by-road  to  a 
church,  containing  some  fine  marble  columns,  brought  from 
Paestum ;  they  were,  however,  only  interesting  from  their 
antiquity — the  greater  part  of  their  beauty  had  departed.  A 
peasant  girl  presented  herself  as  our  cicerone  through  the 
church,  but  when  we  came  out,  a  fat  old  priest  stood  ready  to 
take  the  fee.  The  major  gave  him  the  customary  fee,  but 
this  did  not  content  him,  he  followed  us  grumbling,  and  beg- 
ging for  more.  Upon  this  one  of  the  gentlemen  turned,  and 
taking  it  from  him,  ga,ve  it  to  the  girl ;  this  was,  of  course, 
rank  heresy,  and  I  have  no  doubt  of  our  excommunication. 
The  girl,  however,  did  not  dare  keep  the  money,  but  handed 
it  again  to  the  priest,  who  was  obliged  to  be  content.  We 
arrived  at  Salerno  about  four,  P.  M.  The  country,  before 
reaching  it,  was  beautifully  undulating,  and  richly  cultivated, 
and  there  were  a  great  many  high  proud  towers  scattered 
over  the  hill-tops  and  declivities,  concerning  which,  we  could 
obtain  no  information  from  our  Vetturino,  and  could  there- 
fore only  surmise  they  were  used  in  former  days,  as  watch- 
towers,  to  espy  the  landing  of  an  enemy,  and  in  modern 
times,  as  guard-stations,  to  look  out  for  smugglers.     Salerno 


SALERNO.  213 


and  its  fine  port  looked  very  lovely  from  the  heights  we  de- 
scended, just  before  reaching  it,  the  beauties  of  which  were 
enhanced  by  the  light  haze  which  softened  the  glowing  light 
of  the  setting  sun.  There  is  a  fine  walk  on  the  mole  which 
follows  the  shores  of  the  gulf,  and  it  was  filled  with  a  crowd 
of  people  of  all  classes,  enjoying  the  air  and  evening,  as 
well  as  the  beautiful  prospect.  We  mingled  ourselves 
with  the  motley  group,  and  entered  its  ancient  cathedral, 
which  is  almost  a  museum,  so  numerous  are  the  fine  bas-re- 
liefs and  columns  taken  from  Psestum  ;  it  has  also  an  outer 
court  lined  on  each  of  its  four  sides  with  arches,  supported 
by  double  columns  of  various  kinds  of  marble,  and  different 
styles  of  architecture,  also  from  Psestum.  Long  before 
light,  the  next  morning,  we  were  on  our  way ;  it  was  clear 
and  pleasant,  but  quite  cool.  The  country  through  which 
we  passed  to-day,  was  not  so  beautiful  or  interesting,  though 
fruitful  and  well  cultivated.  Large  fields  of  peas,  beans,  and 
artichokes,  were  growing  thriftily,  and  looked  like  ours  in 
the  summer  months;  but  the  people  have  to  work  very  hard 
to  raise  sufficient  to  pay  the  heavy  land-tax  of  thirty  per 
cent  on  their  productions,  and  to  secure  to  themselves  any 
profit.  At  the  early  hour  in  which  we  commenced  our  jour- 
ney, we  could  see  them  working  in  the  fields,  and  along  the 
roadside  by  fire-light,  so  soon  had  commenced  the  labors  of 
the  day.  We  reached  Psestum  about  noon,  and  spent  two 
hours  in  wandering  around,  and  gazing  on  the  ruins  of  its 
three  beautiful  temples,  one  to  Neptune,  one  to  Ceres,  the 
third  a  basilica,  or  temple  of  justice.  The  wonderful  pre- 
servation in  which  they  still  remain,  considering  their  great 
antiquity,  is  truly  astonishing ;  in  the  days  of  Rome,  they 
were  visited  by  the  Caesars,  and  admired  as  beautiful  ruins  ; 
their  origin  then,  as  now,  lost  in  antiquity.  The  immensity 
and  solidity  of  its  columns  and  blocks  of  Travertino  are  re- 
markable, and  you  cannot  but  wonder  how  they  have  re- 


214 


P^STUM. 


mained  and  sustained  themselves,  without  cement,  iron,  or 
any  of  the  contrivances  of  modern  invention,  for  so  many 
ages.  But  aside  from  their  other  claims  to  our  admiration, 
they  are  sublime  and  majestic  from  their  loneliness,  and 
from  the  utter  desolation  that  surrounds  them.  You  may 
trace  in  the  uneven  and  serrated  sod  of  the  plain  about  them, 
the  compartments  and  divisions  of  the  dwellings  that  formed 
the  ancient  city ;  but  of  their  occupants,  none  can  tell.  Suf- 
ficent  remains  of  the  ancient  city  walls  to  give  a  perfect  idea 
of  their  plan,  and  the  space  covered  by  the  city,  which  ex- 
tended to  the  waters  of  its  noble  port ;  there  is  also  still  in 
use  an  ancient  paved  road,  and  an  arched  gateway  in  the 
walls  of  the  ancient  Psestum.  Traces  also  of  a  smaller  tem- 
ple, and  of  an  amphitheatre,  may  be  seen.  A  small  miser- 
able village  in  the  vicinity,  is  inhabited  by  the  most  sickly, 
haggard,  wan,  and  dwarfish-looking  people  we  have  ever 
met  with.  We  were  glad  to  buy  ourselves  off,  and  make  as 
hasty  a  retreat  as  possible  from  them  and  the  place.  We 
retraced  our  steps  to  Salerno,  where  we  spent  the  night,  and 
the  next  morning  journeyed  back  to  Naples,  passing  through 
the  same  delightful  country  as  on  the  first  day.  We  made 
a  circuit  two  miles  out  of  our  way  to  see  the  pretty  little 
town  of  Castelamare.  It  has  a  fine  port,  which  was  well 
filled  with  vessels,  and  the  people  seemed  very  active  and 
bustling.  The  place  is  also  celebrated  for  its  mineral  wa- 
ters, for  which  it  is  much  resorted  to  in  summer  by  the  Nea- 
politan gentry,  as  well  as  the  king,  who  has  a  casino  here. 
We  arrived  safely  at  our  hotel,  highly  gratified  with  our 
three  days'  jaunt,  and  the  next  day  set  about  "knocking  off 
the  churches."  Do  not  take  this  for  an  Americanism ;  it  is 
pure  English.  An  Englishman  was  asked  if  he  had  seen 
all  he  wished  at  Rome.  "  Yes,  he  said,  he  had  done  every- 
thing but  the  churches  ;  to-morrow,  he  should  knock  them 
off,  and  then  be  ready  to  depart."     The  first  we  entered, 


CHURCHES.  215 


was  chiefly  remarkable  for  the  variety  and  richness  of  the 
marbles,  with  svhich  its  whole  interiorwas  encrusted.     The 
next,  for  a  splendid  fresco  painting,  covering  the  greater 
part  of  the  central  ceiling.     The  cathedral  of  St.  Januarius, 
the  patron  saint  of  Naples— (we  asked  our  guide,  who  spoke 
very  good  English,  who  this  Januarius  was.  He  replied,  "all 
he  could  tell,  was,  that  he  was  the  greatest  man  in  Naples, 
the  head  devil  of  all";  he,  however,  had  spent  eight  years  in 
America,  and  had,  perhaps,  learned  some  heresy  there)— 
contains  in  its  treasury  forty  silver  busts  of  different  saints, 
all  of  life  size,  and  richly  wrought.     Here,  too,  is  kept  a 
vial  containing  some  of  St.  Januarius's  blood;  the  vial  is  in 
a  box,  behind  the  altar,  kept  always  locked  with  two  keys, 
one  held  by  the  archbishop,  the  other  by  the  king,  or  a  de. 
puty  appointed  by  him,  and  cannot  be  opened  but  in  their 
presence.     On  a  certain  day  of  the  year,  it  is  shown  to  the 
people  ;  when  first  taken  out,  it  is  seen  black  and  dry,  but 
soon  liquifies,  and  becomes  fresh  and  red,  as  if  just  shed. 
Thousands  crowd  to  see  this  miracle,  which  occurs  yearly. 
But  one  must  have  faith  for  all  this  ;  to  be  at  these  exhibi- 
tions  without  faith,  is  like  eating  beef-steak  without  gravy, 
very  dry  and  unprofitable.      At  the  church  of  St,  Paul,  are 
some  mutilated  columns  and  statues,  taken  from  the  ancient 
temple  of  Castor  and  Pollux,  and  as  usual,  fine  frescoes  and 
marbles.      St.    Clair  is  the  burial-place   of  the  reigning 
family,  and  considered  the  most  richly  ornamented  church 
in  Naples.     In  one  of  its  chapels,  that  of  San  Felice,  is  a 
magnificent  picture  of  «  David  playing  the  harp,  and  danc 
ing  before  the  ark,"  by  Conca.     At  the  chapel  of  Santa 
Maria   della   Pieta,    we  saw  some  most  exquisite    pieces 
of  statuary  ;   one,  a  dead  Christ,  with  a  sheet,  seemingly 
wet  with  the  damps  of  death,   so  closely  did  it  cling  to 
the  form,  showing  the  body,  limbs,  and  every  feature  of  the 
face ;  even  the  wounds  in  the  hand  are  distinctly  seen,  so 


216  BEAUTIFUL   STATUES, 

transparent  is  this  marble  sheet  that  covers  it.  The  others 
are  allegorical ;  one,  a  female,  representing  Modesty,  The 
figure,  covered  from  head  to  foot  with  a  veil,  is  very  beauti- 
ftd.  Another  is,  "  vice  undeceived  ;"  a  man  entangled  in  a 
net,  from  which  a  good  spirit  is  teaching  him  to  extricate 
himself.  The  meshes  of  the  net,  and  the  body  seen  through 
it,  are  admirable.  In  one  of  the  churches,  of  which  I  forget 
the  name,  is  a  figure  of  the  Virgin,  which  has  a  fine  growth 
of  hair  every  year.  On  a  certain  day,  this  is  cut  off' by  the 
priest  before  the  people.  She  is  then  withdrawn  till  the 
ensuing  anniversary,  when  it  has  grown  again,  miracu- 
lously, of  course,  and  is  again  cut.  But  enough  of  these.  My 
letter  has  acquired  such  a  length,  that  I  cannot  trespass  up- 
on your  patience,  to  give  a  description  of  a  court  ball,  which 
we  attended,  where  we  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  much 
of  royalty,  wealth  and  beauty.  This  last  closed  the  scene 
for  us  at  Naples,  and  after  a  delightful  sojourn  of  three 
weeks,  during  which,  we  had  not  a  drop  of  rain,  but  ever  a 
bright  and  cloudless  sky,  with  a  pure  and  delightful  temper- 
ature, I  think  we  may  ever  recall  Naples  as  the  "  daughter 
of  sunshine."     Adieu. 


A  "holy  family."  217 


LETTER  XXIir. 

PALACE  OF  THE  KING— CAPUA— MOLA  DE  G^TA— INN  OF 
TERRACINA  —  VELLETKI  — BATH  OF  DIANA  —  CUSTOM 
HOUSE— WEATHER    AT    R03IE— ITALIAN    SKIES. 

Rome,  January. 

MydearC ,  We  left  Naples  early  on  the  morning  of 

the  twenty.eighth  of  December,  and  went  a  little  out  of  our 
road  to  visit  the  palace  of  the  king  at  Caserta,  said  to  be 
the  largest  and  most  imposing  in  appearance  of  any  in  Eu- 
rope.  Its  splendid  vestibule  is  filled  with  columns  of  the 
richest  Sicilian  marble,  from  which  you  ascend  a  noble 
staircase,  lined  with  the  same  material  of  varied  kinds,  with 
balustrades  of  equal  richness  and  beauty.  It  has  a  theatre, 
and  chapel  ornamented  also  with  rich  marble,  and  a  profu- 
sion  of  gilding  ;  in  the  latter,  to  grace  the  Christmas  festi- 
val,  there  had  been  placed  a  representation  of  the  holy  fa- 
mily  in  the  stable  of  Bethlehem.  Numerous  figures  of  the 
size  of  an  ordinary  doll,  dressed  in  the  most  picturesque  cos- 
tume,  and  seemingly  true  to  the  life,  were  threading  the  moun- 
tain  passes  of  Judea ;  some  were  seated  in  beautiful  groups 
under  a  cluster  of  palm-trees,  that  waved  their  graceful 
leaves  above  them,  while  over  the  humble  birth-place  ofthe 
Savior,  hovered  a  heavenly  host,  and  round  it,  crowded  a 
humble  throng,  with  their  offerings  of  sheep  and  doves.  The 
whole  scene  was  truly  oriental,  and  in  perfect  keeping  with 
the  times  and  country  it  depicted,  and  is  said  to  ha  °e  cost 
two  thousand  pounds.  It  was  open  to  the  public  for  three 
days,  and  attracted  crowds  of  people  from  all  the  region 
around.     In  the  grounds  of  the  palace,  and  directly  in  front 

10 


218  THE    TOWN    OP    CAPUA. 

of  it,  there  is  a  succession  of  cascades,  nineteen  in  number, 
each  ornamented  with  grottos  and  statuary,  forming  a  most 
beautiful  perspective.  Situated  on  the  beautiful  amphitheatre 
behind,  is  a  large  and  flourishing  silk  factory,  established  by 
King  Ferdinand  in  1789  ;  and  forming  a  part  of  the  domain, 
is  the  pretty  casino,  called  the  Belvidere.  Leading  from 
these  mountains,  is  a  noble  aqueduct,  built  by  Charles  III., 
which  conveys  water  to  the  cascades,  and  ornaments  the 
grounds  of  the  palace  and  the  villages  in  its  vicinity.  We 
spent  near  two  hours  looking  at  the  various  beauties  of  the 
place,  and  received  a  famous  scolding  for  our  dilpioriness 
from  our  vetturino,  who  had  a  real  or  pretended  fear  of  ban- 
dits, and  sadly  lamented  the  delay  which  would  keep  us  on 
our  way  till  after  dark.  We  reached  ere  long  the  site  of 
ancient  Capua,  passing  the  fine  remains  of  its  amphitheatre, 
and  through  a  triumphal  arch  over  the  road.  Two  miles 
farther  brought  us  to  the  modern  town  of  Capua,  where  we 
breakfasted.  Our  road  all  day  was  through  continued  vine- 
yards,  with  groves  of  fig  and  olive  trees,  and  no  fences  to 
mar  their  beauty.  At  dusk,  we  passed  a  guard-house,  and 
our  vetturino  directed  our  attention  to  a  soldier  just  mount- 
ing his  horse — whose  duty  it  was  to  pace  up  and  down  a  cer- 
tain portion  of  the  road  as  night  patrol — to  support  his  alle- 
gation, that  there  was  much  to  fear  from  robbers.  We, 
however,  arrived  at  our  destination  without  let  or  hindrance, 
and  were  glad  on  reaching  the  inn  of  St.  Agatha,  to  find  a 
bright  fire  blazing  in  the  dining  room,  where  an  English 
family  were  already  enjoying  their  dinner.  The  next  morn- 
ing we  had  partaken  of  an  excellent  breakfast,  and  were 
fairly  en  route  at  half-past  five.  Our  vetturino.  Monsieur 
Charles,  was  now  in  high  spirits,  and  could  hardly  praise 
sufficiently  our  laudable  effort,  to  aid  him  in  cheating  the 
robbers  by  early  rising.  The  day  was  delightfully  warm 
and  pleasant,  and  the  country  richly  cultivated.     Vineyards 


MOLA    DE    G.ETA.  219 

With  the  branches  of  the  vine  trained  from  tree  to  tree,  and 
orchards  of  the  olive,  fig  and  orange,  sometimes  all  mingled 
together,  with  verdant  crops  of  grain  or  vegetables  growing- 
underneath,  formed  altogether  a  lovely  sight  for  the  eye  to 
dwell  upon.       They  are   exceedingly   economical  of  the 
ground  here,  and  it  is  rare  that  they  do  not  produce  five 
crops  from  one  field,  that  is,  including  the  fruit.     We  had  a 
pretty    peasantry  in    picturesque  costume,    who    exhibited 
a  consciousness  of  their  beauty,   by  their  curling  hair  of  a 
rich  brown,  tastefully  arranged  about  the  face,  and  bright 
gay  ribbons  mingled  in  their  dresses  behind-travelling,  too 
over  a  ground  fraught  with  historic  and   poetic  association,' 
every  moment  was  rich  enjoyment.     We  saw  many  ruins, 
some  of  them  so  ruinous  indeed,  as  to  be  more  interesting  to 
the  imagination  than  to  the  sight,  all  trace  of  their  origin  or 
purpose  being  lost,  or  at  least  doubtful.     There  were,  how- 
ever,  beautiful  remains  of  an  ancient  aqueduct,  that  formerly 
crossed  the  road  by  which  we  passed,  and  which  still  ex- 
tends  a  long  distance.     Near  it  are  also  the  remains  of  an 
amphitheatre,  and  the  walls  of  a  city.  All  these  once  formed 
a  part  of  Minturn^,  whose  reeds  and  marshes  concealed 
Marius  ;  and  we  had  at  least  the  certainty  of  knowino-  that 
we  were  on  the  Via  Appia,  the.t)nce  queen  of  Roman  roads. 
We  breakfasted  at  Mola  de  G^ta,  beautifully  situated  on  the 
sea-side  ;  its  hotel  almost  embowered  by  thick  groves  of  the 
orange,  laden  with  fruit.     A  little  boy  presented  me  with 
abeautiful  bouquet  of  orange  blossoms,  roses  and  other  sweet 
flowers.     From  the  rear  of  the  house,  in  the  midst  of  this 
grove,  you  have  a  view  of  a  high  promontory,  on  which  are 
two  or  three  pretty  villages,  and  the  citadel  of  Gsta,  cele- 
brated  for  two  great  defences,  one  by,  and  one  against  the 
i^rench.     The  garden   extends  to,  and  is  washed  by  the 
waves  of  the  Mediterranean,   and  contains  the  remains  of 
Cicero's  villa,  and  of  an  amphitheatre.     After  breakfast  we 


230  THE    INN    AT    TEREACINA. 


left  our  vetturino  to  follow,  and  walked  on  about  a  mile  to 
see  a  tomb,  which  is  called  Cicero's,  but  with  some  doubt  as 
to  its  being  such,  and  doubts  detract  very  much  from  the 
pleasure  and  interest  with  which  we  would  otherwise  view 
so  interesting  an  object. 

The  whole  country  through  which  we  passed  to-day  was 
also  covered  with  the  vine,  olive  and  fig  tree.     In  the  alter- 
noon  we  saw  immense  herds  of  buffaloes,  guarded  by  men 
on  horseback  with  long  lances  or  spears.     About  the  mid- 
die  of  the  afternoon,  we  were  called  upon  for  our  passports, 
to  see  if  we  were  all  right  for  going  out  of  the  dommions  of 
Naples,  and  shortly  after  we  v  ere  inspected  by  the  emissa- 
ries  of  the  Pope,  to  know  if  we  were  right  and  proper  per- 
sons  to  enter  the  patrimony  of  St.  Peter.     AH  being  "  e« 
re^/e,"wewere  permitted  to  go  ourway,  each  oificial claim- 
inl  as  if  by  right,  the  "  boutiUia,"  (bottle  of  wine.)  Monsieur 
Charles  said,  laughingly,  that  the  Pope,  having  to  take  care 
of  the  church,  could  not  do  as  much  to  protect  the  country 
as  the  King  of  Naples  did.  He  had,  however,  three  soldiers 
on  the  Pontine  marshes,  but  they,  poor  fellows,  had  the  ague 
and   fever,  and   excited  more  pity  than  fear.     We  passed 
many  ruins  along  the  road,  giving  one   no  idea  of  what 
they  were  originally,  but  e^dencing  a  once  populous  and 
thickly  settled  country.  At  five  we  reached  the  inn  of  Terra- 
cina,  so  famed  for  robbers,  and  made  to  figure  soconspicu- 
ously  in  the  beautiful  opera  of  "FraDiavolo."  I  could  trace 
little  resemblance  between  the  real  and  the  fancied  one  I 
had  seen  represented  on  the  stage,  but  the  country  around 
cave  one  a  good  idea  of  a  r.  sort  of  bandits.     Immediately 
fn  front  of  the   inn,  rises  a  huge  rock,  separate  and   dis- 
tinct from  the  higher  one  behind  it,  in  form,  like  a  huge 
tower,   and  making  a  natural  fortress.     Midway  up,  cling- 
ing to  the  face  of  the  rock,  is  the  old  hermitage,  which  is 
also  made  to  play  a  part  in  the  opera,  but  now  converted 


A    FUNERAL    PROCE^ION.  221 

into  a  station  for  the  officers  of  the  Pope  to  watch  for  smug- 
glers. The  port  of  Terracina  was  once  large  and  well 
built,  but  is  now  filled  with  sand  and  useless,  from  want  of 
water.  On  the  top  of  an  exceeding  high  mountain,  over- 
looking the  village,  are  the  remains  of  a  palace  of  the  Em- 
peror Theodoric,  but  too  high  for  ordinary  travellers,  and 
quite  out  of  reach  of  weary  ones  like  ourselves.  We  again 
gladdened  the  heart  of  Monsieur  Charles,  by  our  early  rising 
in  the  morning ;  he  said  the  English  family  had  arrived 
quite  late  in  the  evening,  scolding  and  fuming  at  their  vettu- 
rino  for  being  so  tardy.  The  morning  was  chilly,  and  there 
was  nothing  in  the  scenery  to  interest  us,  being  on  the 
dreary  road  over  the  Pontine  marshes,  which,  after  many 
centuries,  and  through  the  means  of  the  Emperors  and 
Popes,  have  at  last  been  so  well  drained,  as  to  make  arable 
and  good  pasture  land.  Hundreds  of  buffaloes  were  feeding 
on  its  pastures,  and  in  the  still  unredeemed  marshy  ground, 
an  abundance  of  game  of  all  kinds,  from  some  of  which, 
woodcock  and  snipe,  we  made  a  delicious  breakfast.  We 
had  still  less  to  interest  us  to-day,  no  fine  scenery  to  glad  our 
eyes,  not  many  ruins,  and  the  few  we  saw,  we  knew  nothing 
of,  and  with  much  satisfaction  we  reached  our  resting  place, 
Velletri,  at  four,  P.  M.  We  had  not  been  long  here  when  a 
funeral  procession  passed  the  inn.  There  were  some  twenty 
mourners,  entirely  in  black,  their  faces  covered  with  the 
same,  with  holes  cut  for  the  eyes  and  nose,  each  carrying 
lighted  candles  in  their  hands.  Behind  them  was  borne, 
the  blef,  covered  with  a  velvet  pall,  bordered  with  gold — on 
this  reposed  the  dead  body,  dressed  in  a  robe  of  black, 
similar  to  that  vv'orn  by  our  clergy,  with  white  bands  at  his 
neck,  and  on  his  head  a  small  black  cloth  cap.  The  head 
was  supported  by  a  black  pillow  or  cushion,  the  face  of 
the  corpse,  that  of  an  old  man,  entirely  exposed,  and  rolling 
from  side  to  side  with  the  motion  of  the  bearers,  which  was 


r^.' 


222  AN 'EXTINCT    VOLCANO. 

any  thing  but  steady  or  equal.  The  gentlemen  followed  it 
into  the  church  near  by,  where,  after  a  short  service  and 
sprinkling  of  holy  water,  it  was  stripped  of  its  robes,  and 
tumbled  neck  and  heels  into  the  vault  on  one  side  of  the 
church,  and  thus  closed  the  mournful  mummery. 

We  left  Velletri  at  the  usual  early  hour,  and  by  half-past 
nine  we  were  at  Albano,  just  before  reaching  which,  we 
passed  the  remains  of  a  huge  monument,  the  tomb  of  the 
Horatii  and  Curatii  ;  though  it  is  also  said,  to  be  one  con- 
secrated by  Cornelia  to  Pompey,  and  the  five  cones  or  py- 
ramids which  it  presents,  are  supposed  to  allude  to  the  five 
victories  of  the  Roman  captain.  The  hotel,  at  which  we 
breakfasted  at  Albano,  was  as  large  and  handsome  as  a  pal- 
ace, with  a  beautiful  tei  raced  garden,  filled  with  flow- 
ering shrubs  and  ornamented  with  pretty  fountains,  com- 
manding also  a  fine  view  of  all  the  country  beyond  ;  and 
as  the  town  is  the  summer  resort  of  the  Pope  and  Roman 
citizens,  it  is  no  doubt  at  that  season  well  filled. 

After  breakfast  we  walked  a  mile  to  see  the  huge  crater 
of  an  extinct  volcano,  now  filled  by  a  quiet  placid  lake,  but 
still  retaining  much  of  its  former  height  and  form.  On  one 
side  of  it  is  a  convent  of  Franciscan  monks,  and  on  the 
heights  opposite  are  the  ruins  of  a  temple  of  Jupiter,  and  a 
singular  rock  called  the  Pope's  rock,  thickly  covered  with 
villages.  The  lake  has  an  outlet  by  means  of  a  tunnel  cut 
through  the  mountains  two  hundred  years  ago,  by  the  Ro- 
mans, in  obedience  to  an  oracle,  though  suggested  to  the 
oracle  by  the  senate. ,  Near  to  this  is  a  grotto  called  the 
bath  of  Diana.  On  a  mountain  in  the  vicinity  is  the  pretty 
village  of  Castel-Gandolfo  where  the  Pope  has  a  palace,  his 
only  summer  retreat — leading  from  Albano  to  this  is  a  fine 
avenue  of  evergreen  oaks.  At  the  foot  of  the  volcano  in  the 
gardens  of  the  Barberini  villa  are  many  remains  of  a  coun- 
try house  and  baths  built  by  Domitian.  Leaving  Albano 
we  pass  another  ruin  called  the  tomb  of  Ascanius,  founder 


THE  LAST  DAY  OF  THE  YEAR.  223 

of  Alba  Longa.  From  this  point  our  road  was  the  Via  Appia 
through  the  Campania  da  Romi,  literally  sown  with  ruins 
and  fragments  of  ruins.  Three  or  four  fine  aqueducts  may 
be  seen  leading  from  different  quarters,  and  though  remains 
of  a  time  long  past,  are  still  useful  to  the  citizens  of  modern 
Rome.  Beautiful  parts  and  scattered  fragments  of  temples, 
towns  and  tombs,  show  the  site  and  extent  of  the  "  Niobe 
of  Nations."  We  passed  the  ordeal  of  the  custom-house  by 
the  payment  of  two  Pauls  and  entered  the  gates  of  the  eter- 
nal city.  And  it  is  something  of  a  memorial  to  have  en- 
tered Rome  on  the  last  day  of  the  year — it  will  serve  as  a 
memento  of  the  ending  of  the  year.  My  thoughts  reverted 
to  scenes  of  home,  and  returned  tinged  with  sadness  ;  vis- 
ions of  merry  meetings  passed  before  my  "  mind's  eye,"  and 
happy  greetings  sounded  in  the  ear  of  my  heart ;  it  was 
Sunday  too,  and  I  felt  that  the  incense  of  my  prayers  min- 
gled with  those  offered  for  all  who  "  travel  by  land  or  by 
water,"  and  there  was  a  pleasure  in  my  sadness,  which 
could  not  but  be  diverted  by  the  beautiful  temples  of  olden 
as  u^ell  as  modern  times ;  and  above  all  the  Coliseum,  past 
which  we  were  rapidly  whirled  to  the  hotel.  I  suppose  you 
would  not  care  to  read,  any  more  than  I  to  write,  a  full  des- 
cription of  the  many  ruins  which  all  must  see  who  visit 
Rome,  but  I  intend  giving  you  an  account  of  such  days  as 
were  most  interesting,  of  the  month  passed  here.  Unfor- 
tunately  coming  to  Rome  as  we  did,  afler  passing  through 
so  many  far  countries,  and  so  much  that  was  in  fact  more 
unique  and  strange,  antiquities  that  were  really  more  an- 
cient— our  ardour  and  enthusiasm  had  much  abated,  and 
our  appetites  were  in  a  measure  satisfied  with  what  had 
gone  before,  so  that  we  were  all  of  us  languid  and  indiffer- 
ent, and  it  was  quite  an  effort  that  we  commenced  our  sight 
seeing.  I  must,  however,  attribute  our  indifference  in  a 
great  degree  to  the  chilling  atmosphere  which  we  encoun- 


224  WEATHER    AT    ROME, 

tered  on  our  first  arrival  at  Rome.  Coming  as  we  did  from 
more  southern  latitudes,  where  we  had  found  it  one  con- 
tinued summer,  and  after  basking  in  three  weeks'  sunshine 
at  Naples,  we  reached  Rome  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
northward,  at  the  height  of  its  coldest  season,  and  where 
instead  of  the  eternal  sunshine  we  had  been  enjoying,  we 
had  chilly  drizzling  rains — and  I  have  never  suffered  so 
much  from  cold  in  America  as  in  Rome.  We  have  much 
colder  weather,  but  we  are  better  prepared  for  it  ;  the 
houses  here  are  of  stone,  but  the  ceilings  lofty,  and  the 
rooms  have  many  of  them  only  canvass  partitions  (hand- 
somely frescoed)  dividing  them  from  each  other,  and  the 
cold  passages  without.  Then  the  cold  stone  floors  are  very 
chilling,  though  covered  with  carpets  ;  the  wood  for  fuel  too 
is  poor  and  dear,  and  the  fire-places  excellently  well  calcu- 
lated to  convey  the  heat  up  chimney  and  the  smoke  into 
the  room.  The  cold  at  this  season,  is  of  a  different  nature 
from  ours,  there  seems  always  a  dampness  even  when 
the  sun  shines,  owing  to  the  narrowness  of  the  streets  and 
great  height  of  the  houses,  while  with  us  it  is  usually  clear 
and  dry ;  here  the  cold  is  benumbing — with  us  it  is  exhilir- 
ating — here  it  is  enervating ;  w^ith  us  exciting.  I  have  never 
suffered  so  with  chilblains  as  while  here — my  hands  look  as 
if  I  had  the  inflammatory  rheumatism,  and  my  feet  are  crip- 
pled ;  even  my  face  shows  the  impress  of  Jack's  frosty  fin- 
gers. It  is  thus  with  all  who  expose  themselves  much, 
whether  foreigners  or  natives.  Invalids  who  are  confined 
to  a  sunny  room  may  escape.  And  yet  it  is  not  so  cold  as 
to  destroy  vegetation — the  grass  looks  as  green  as  with  us 
in  April  or  September.  The  trees  that  are  leafless  are 
those  of  the  hardy  kind  like  the  oak  and  other  large  trees, 
while  the  orange,  olives  and  flowering  trees,  are  filled  with 
fruits  and  flow^ers  ;  vegetables  are  growing  luxuriantly  in  the 
fields  ;  roses  and  peas  blossom  in  the  open  air,  in  the  gar- 
dens and  by  the  way  side. 


■:r 


THE    SIXTINE    CHAPEL.  225 


LETTER  XXIV. 

HIGH     MASS DRESS CEREMONIES ST.    PETEr's ASCENT 

TO    THE    DOME,    6lC. 

Rome,  January. 
The  morning  after  our  arrival,  New- Year's  morn,  high 
mas  was  to  be  celebrated  in  the  Sixtine  chapel,  and  the  Pope 
would  assist.  At  an  early  hour,  therefore,  we  drove  to  the 
Vatican,  the  palace  of  his  holiness,  and  found  our  way  to  the 
entrance  of  this  his  private  chapel.  We  had  been  told  that 
ladies  would  not  be  admitted  with  bonnets,  but  must  dress 
in  black,  with  a  black  veil  upon  the  head  ;  in  this  respect  I 
must  say  I  highly  approve  the  Pope's  taste  ;  for  I  think  it  an 
exceedingly  pretty  and  becoming  costume.  Gentlemen,  too, 
must  go  in  ordinary  full  dress,  and  so  particular  were  they 
in  this  respect,  that  the  Major  was  refused  admittance  be- 
cause he  had  on  a  frock  coat,  and  was  obliged  to  return  to 
the  hotel  a  mile  distant,  to  change  it  for  a  dress  coat.  We 
were  somewhat  in  advance  of  the  hour,  and  were  obliged  to 
stand  a  long  time  waiting.  By  the  time  they  were  ready  to 
admit  us,  we  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  a  family  whom 
we  had  divined  to  be  Americans,  and  with  whom  we  had 
subsequently  delightful  intercourse.  The  heavy  curtain  was 
at  length  held  aside  for  the  numerous  assemblage  to  enter. 
A  file  of  halberdiers,  Swiss  soldiers,  habited  like  harlequins, 
preceded  us.  They  wore  a  dress  of  red,  yellow  and  blue 
stripes,  consisting  of  a  doublet  with  slashed  sleeves,  loose 
short  breeches  of  the  same,  a  small  low-crowned  black  hat 
rolled  up  on  one  side  with  a  red  feather  like  the  mane 
of  a  horse  extending   fromvthe    front  to  the  back,    a  ruff 

10* 


226  INTERIOR    APPEARANCE. 

round  the  neck  composed  of  four  fluted  ruffles,  white  stock- 
ings, with  buckles  both  at  the  knee  and  shoes,  a  broad 
yellow  band  over  the  shoulder,  to  which  was  attached  a 
glittering  sword,  with  white  gloves,  completed  this  unique 
and  yet  pretty  costume.  A  long  pole  with  halberds  at  the  end 
was  carried  upright.  As  soon  as  they  had  taken  their  proper 
stations  within,  the  master-at-arms  held  aside  the  curtains 
and  the  ladies  entered  and  were  furnished  with  seats,  but 
they  were  very  ungallantly  stationed  in  the  rear,  and  obliged 
to  look  through  a  gilded  grating,  while. the  gentlemen  were 
admitted  within  the  pale  ;  and  had  very  good  seats  on  the 
inside. 

T  was  so  much  occupied  with  gazing  at  the  assemblage 
and  the  ceremonies,  that  I  can  give  no  description  of  the 
chapel,  save  that  it  contains  some  fine  frescoes  by  the  great 
master  Michael  Angelo,  much  injured,  however,  by  age  and 
humidity.  The  altar  piece,  the  last  judgment,  is  also  by 
him.  The  high  altar  is  richly  draped  with  crimson  velvet 
with  trimmings  of  gold,  and  before  it  were  six  immense 
golden  candlesticks,  in  which  were  burning  wax-lights  near 
six  feet  high.  On  one  side  was  a  rich  square  canopy  of 
crimson  velvet  embroidered  with  gold,  and  the  canopy  to 
the  ground  the  same  rich  material ;  over  this  latter,  but  so 
as  not  to  conceal  it  altogether,  was  hung  white  silk,  em- 
broidered with  gold  figures,  and  this  last  covered  and  fell 
over  the  large  chair  placed  under  the  canopy  on  a  platform 
raised  some  five  or  six  steps ;  this  was  the  throne  of  his 
holiness  who  had  not  yet  arrived.  The  cardinals  now 
began  to  arrive  by  the  same  door  we  had  entered,  passing 
by  where  we  were  seated.  It  is  said  taking  them  as  a  body 
they  are  the  most  learned  society  in  the  world ;  they  num- 
ber in  all  seventy,  the  same  in  number  as  the  elders  chosen 
by  Moses  for  his  grand  council  during  a  rebellion  in  the 
wilderness,  as  well  as  of  the  Jewish  Sanhedrim.     One  of  the 


THE    CARDINALS.  227 


cardinals,  Mezzafonta,  though  not  yet  an  old  man,  is  per- 
fect master  of  forty  different  languages-  At  this  ceremony 
there  were  present  about  forty,  they  were  dressed  in  robes 
of  crimson  silk,  lined  with  purple,  with  trains  I  should  judge 
five  yards  in  length.  On  their  shoulders  were  hoods  lined 
with  ermine  that  came  round  in  front  like  a  cape  ;  about 
their  necks  were  bands  of  the  richest  lace  with  sleeves  and 
ruffles  of  the  same,  and  on  their  heads  small  red  silk  caps 
fitting  the  scalp  very  closely.  They  did  not  enter  in  a 
body,  but  singly  or  two  at  a  time,  each  with  a  body  guard 
of  the  clergy;  those  who  preceded  them  wore  black  silk 
gowns,  black  cocked  hats  ornamented  with  feather  fringe, 
rich  lace  bands,  broad  massive  chains  of  gold  suspended 
round  their  necks,  and  swords  at  their  sides.  Four  of  these 
preceded  each  cardinal  while  two  behind  bore  his  train. 
These  last  were  dressed  in  robe  and  cassock  of  royal  purple 
silk,  fastened  with  small  buttons  from  the  neck  to  the  feet 
down  the  front,  and  on  their  heads  small  black  silk  caps. 
Each  cardinal  as  he  entered  knelt  in  the  centre  of  the 
chapel ;  those  who  had  already  entered  and  taken  their 
seats  rose  and  remained  standing  till  he  had  performed  his 
devotions,  when  after  making  a  reverence  to  them  and  they 
to  him,  he  took  his  seat,  and  they  resumed  theirs,  and  this 
was  repeated  on  every  new  arrival  till  all  had  entered.  The 
last  one  was  accompanied  by  a  guard  of  about  a  dozen  sol- 
diers in  rich  scarlet  uniforms  and  cocked  hats.  These  we 
were  told  were  all  young  Italian  nobles.  At  last  came  the 
Pope  himself,  entering  by  a  private  door  at  the  opposite  end 
of  the  chapel  on  the  platform  of  the  high  altar.  He  was  pre- 
ceded by  a  long  procession  of  priests  ;  and  wore  along  robe  of 
white  silk  profusely  embroidered  with  gold,  and  was  crowned 
with  the  golden  mitre.  Three  priests  officiating  at  the 
altar,  wore  white  robes  almost  covered  with  gold  ornaments 
and   embroidery  ;  and  the  one  performing  mass  wore  a  siL 


228  ELEVATION    OF    THE    HOST. 

ver  mitre.  The  choir  was  composed  of  priests,  no  female 
voices,  and  the  music  was  exquisite.  I  think  I  have  rarely 
if  ever  heard  it  excelled.  The  services  consisted  chiefly  in 
chanting  by  the  orchestra,  the  responses  being  chanted  by 
the  whole  body  of  clergy  and  cardinals,  and  there  was  a 
short  discourse  delivered  in  Italian.  When  the  Pope  took 
part  in  the  ceremony,  a  priest  knelt  before  him  having  a 
laige  book  opened,  while  another,  also  kneeling,  held  a 
lighted  candle.  In  the  midst  of  the  service  the  cardinals 
all,  one  after  another,  ascended  the  front  of  the  platform, 
and  kneeling  kissed  the  Pope's  hand  and  the  cross  on  his 
slipper  ;  then  descended  at  the  side,  and  it  was  quite  amus- 
ing to  see  the  train  of  each  as  they  ascended  and  descended 
passed  from  the  hands  of  a  long  file  of  priests  till  they 
reached  their  seats  each  in^their  turn.  After  this  the  priests 
one  after  the  other  made  obeisance  at  the  foot  of  the  plat- 
form without  ascending  it.  This  to  a  mere  looker-on  was 
all  very  fanciful  and  amusing  as  you  may  imagine  ;  the  only 
really  impressivfe  part  of  the  gorgeous  ceremony  being  when 
the  Pope  knelt  before  the  altar,  and  held  aloft  the  Host — the 
whole  assemblage  prostrating  themselves  to  the  ground,  bow- 
ing themselves  before  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  and  keeping  silence 
before  him.  All  this  occupied  about  two  hours,  and  then 
such  a  display  of  cardinal's  carriages  as  was  exhibited 
around  the  court  of  the  Vatican  when  we  descended !  each 
with  three  footmen  behind  and  a  coachman  in  front,  they 
as  well  as  the  horses  and  carriages  in  liveries  and  trappings 
as  rich  as  gay  colors  and  gold  and  silver  could  make  them. 
So  closed  our  first  morning  in  Rome. 

Afler  a  few  days  spent  in  making  -purchases  and  such  ar- 
rangements as  would  most  contribute  to  our  comfort  during 
our  stay  here,  we  commenced  visiting  some  of  the  many  in- 
teresting objects  we  most  wished  to  look  upon,  and  I  at  least 


IVY-CLAD    RUINS.  229 


felt  my  ardor  renewed   and  began  to  realize  that  ws  were 
indeed  in  Rome— 

"  Lone  mother  of  dead  empires,  there  she  stands 
An  empty  urn  within  her  withered  hands." 

Methinks  a  fit  emblem  for  her  would  be  "  Rachael  mourn» 
ing  for  her  children,  and  would  not  be  comforted  because 
they  were  not."  How  sad  it  is  to  look  upon  so  many  wrecks 
of  what  was  once  beautiful,  grand  and  magnificent.  And 
in  Rome  there  is  not  one  but  history,  "  hoar  chronicler  of 
time,"  has  marked  it  for  her  own.  Standing  too  as  they  do 
surrounded  by  the  dwellings  of  modern  Rome,  they  still  look 
so  sad,  so  lonely,  so  apart.  Among  them  but  not  of  them, 
yet  they  have  one  friend  in  their  desolation,  they  are  not 
deserted  quite  ;  there  is  that  "  rare  old  plant" — that  garland 
of  eternity,  the  ivy-green,  clinging  to  and  becoming  as  one 
body — you  may  destroy  but  cannot  part  them.  They  en- 
twine and  gird  themselves  about  each  part,  forming  a  shel- 
ter against  the  storms  of  adversity,  and  a  protection  against 
their  fell  destroyer.  Time.  I  can  hardly  single  out  any  of 
these  for  a  minute  description,  and  to  only  enumerate  them 
would  not  only  be  tedious  and  uninteresting,  but  useless  ;  so 
leaving  these  reflected  glories  of  the  past,  we  will  turn  to 
one  of  the  most  perfectrealitiesof  modern  times,  St.  Peter's, 
Ah,  how  beautifully  do  these  Romanists  appeal  to  the  feel- 
ings, the  senses  and  the  imagination,  by  their  exquisite  per- 
fections in  the  various  departments  of  art,  by  their  gorgeous 
decorations,  their  imposing  ceremonies,  seraphic  music  and 
fragrant  floating  clouds  of  incense  ;  the  worship  is  beauti- 
ful, but  as  for  their  religion 

But  it  is  with  the  beautiful  temple  we  have  now  to  do — 
"   And  thou  of  temples  old  cr  altars  new, 
Standest  alone,  with  nothing  like  to  thee 
Worthiest  of  God  the  Holy  and  the  true." 

One  cannot  enter  here  and  cast  their  eyes  over  its  spacious 


230 

tesselated  pavement,  and  upwards  to  its  vast  and  lofty  dome, 
enriched  with  mosaics  of  bright  and  varied  hue,  in  which 
the  figures  represented  seem  starting  into  life  ;  and  then 
along  its  many  chapels  and  shrines,  forming  of  themselves  a 
holy  city ;  where  all  that  is  most  rare  and  costly  in  art  or 
nature  has  been  brought  to  enrich  aad  beautify  these  temples 
of  the  Lord,  without  feeling  his  heart  fill  with  pride  on  wit- 
nessing so  many  marvellous  creations  of  man's  handy  work, 
and  with  gratitude  to  man's  Creator  that  he  has  endowed 
his  noble  master-piece  with  the  genius  capable  of  producing 
such  exquisite  and  beautiful  specimens  in  every  department 
of  art.  There  are  those  who  find  faults  and  defects  in  this 
beautiful  temple,  but  for  me  I  could  not  if  I  would,  and 
would  not  if  I  could. 

"  Majesty,  power,  glory,  strength  and  beauty,  all  are  aisled 
In  this  eternal  ark  of  worship  undefiled." 

Some  say  that  its  very  perfection  is  a  fault;  it  is  of  such  rare 
proportion  that  its  magnitude  and  grandeur  is  lost,  or  rather 
does  not  strike,  and  this  called  a  defect.     Byron  says — 
"  Its  grandeur  overwhelms  thee  not  ; 

And  why  ?  it  is  not  lessened  ;  but  thy  mind, 

Expanded  by  the  genius  of  the  spot, 

Has  grown  collossal." 

But  it  was  not  thus  with  me,  my  mind  was  not  sufficiently 
expansive,  at  least,  to  contain  all  the  fullness  of  my  delight, 
— my  heart  was  full,  my  eyes  o'erflowing.  It  would  be  im- 
possible for  me  to  describe  all  that  is  beautiful  here,  and  if 
I  did,  the  description  would  give  you  no  adequate  idea  of  the 
reality.  There  is  first  its  many  brilliant  mosaics,  the  im- 
perishable copies  of  the  masterpieces  of  Raphael,  Domeni- 
chino  and  others,  the  originals  of  which  are  in  the  Vatican  ; 
the  numerous  magnificent  monuments  of  its  many  Popes, 
of  sovereigns  and  other  of  the  illustrious  great  chefd^auvres 
of  the  master  sculptors,  Bernini,  Canova,  Thorwaldsen  and 


THE    DOME.  231 


others,  the  splendid  baldachino  of  bronze  by  Bernini  over 
the  bodies  of  Saints  Peter  and  Paul,  an  exquisite  temple  in 
itself;  and  the  elaborate  bronze  pulpit  of  St.  Peter,  also  by- 
Bernini,  who  was  employed  upon  the  principal  works  of  art 
under  nine  Popes.  There  is  also  a  bronze  statue  of  St. 
Peter,  seated  in  a  chair,  holding  in  his  hands  the  keys, 
which  is  of  great  antiquity,  and  by  some  supposed  to  have 
been  a  statue  of  Jupiter,  and  to  have  once  adorned  some 
heathen  temple  ;  the  foot  of  it  has  been  kissed  so  oft  and 
with  so  much  devotion  that  the  toes  are  nearly  worn  off. 
All  these  with  the  ordinary  decorations  of  the  church  and 
the  splendor  of  its  many  shrines,  form  a  combinatioUgWhich 
requires  frequent  visits  and  close  study  to  appreciate.  There 
is  also  one  peculiarity  about  this  beautiful  edifice  noticed 
by  all  who  enter  it,  and  that  is  the  climate  or  temperature 
within  it,  which  is  uniform  throughout  the  year.  In  winter 
it  is  of  a  warm  genial  and  delicious  softness,  and  in  sum- 
mer delightfully  cool.  During  one  of  our  visits  with  some 
friends  we  ascended  to  its  immense  cupola,  the  work  of 
Michael  Angelo  in  his  eighty-seventh  year.  I,  with  the  gen- 
tlemen, went  into  the  very  ball  which  is  of  a  size  capable  of 
holding  sixteen  persons.  The  view  from  this  great  height 
is  very  fine,  giving  one  a  good  idea  of  the  extent  of  modern 
Rome,  the  situation  of  the  ancient  city,  the  position  of  the 
most  interesting  of  its  ancient  buildings  as  well  as  the  rela- 
tive positions  of  its  many  hills  and  the  windings  of  the  Tiber 
at  their  base.  We  obtain  also  a  more  just  and  accurate 
idea  of  the  extent  and  dimensions  of  this  immense  building. 
On  one  of  its  roofs  there  is  quite  a  colony  of  workshops  of 
the  men  employed  in  keeping  the  edifice  in  repair,  which 
repairs  are  said  to  cost  forty  thousand  dollars  yearly ;  there 
is  also  an  overflowing  fountain  of  good  water  on  this  part  of 
the  roof.  Most  of  the  ascent  is  made  by  an  inclined  plane, 
which  renders  it  comparatively  easy.     In  the  interior  there 


232  THE    MAUSOLEUMS. 


is  a  gallery  running  round  the  base  of  the  huge  dome,  and 
where  one  seems  suspended  like  Mahomet's  coffin  midway 
between  Heaven  and  earth.     The  view  of  the  interior  of 
the  church  from  this  giddy  height  is  wonderful ;  the  people 
below  seem  like  pigmies,  while  the  huge  mosaic    figures 
with  which  the  vault  of  the  dome  is  encrusted,  which  when 
seen  from  below  appear  only  the  size  of  life,  are  here  gigan- 
tic  ;  and  though  when  viewed  thus  near,    the  pen  in  the 
hand  of  St.  Mark  appears  only  a  foot  long,  it  is  actually  four. 
When  we  descended,  while  the  gentlemen  went  into  the 
crypt  to  see  the  mausoleums  of  Peter  and  Paul,  which  ladies 
are  not  allowed   to  desecrate  by  their  presence,  we  amused 
ourselves  with  again  viewing  many  beauties  and  wonders  of 
this  magnificent  temple,  upon  which  I  feel  I  can  hardly  look 
enoughr  and  shall  never  cease  to  admire.     To-day  it  has 
raine°d  unceasingly,  and  as  the  gentlemen  had  some  business 
matters  to  attend  to,  I  was  allowed   to  remain  quietly    at 
home  much  to  my  satisfaction,   passing  the  day  in  domestic 
occupations,  reading,  writing,  and  needlework  ;  in  the  even- 
ing  an  American  artist,  who  has  rooms  next  to  us  and  the 
Major,  passed  the  evening  with  us,  so  that  it  has  been  quite 
like  home   in  comparison  with  other  days  so  replete  with 
active  occupation  both  of  mind  and  body  as  ours  usually  are. 


THE    VATICAN.  ggg 


LETTER  XXV. 

THE  VATICAIV—LOVE  LETTERS— THE  HALL  OF  ANIMALS- 
PAINTINGS— PIAZZA  DEL  POPOLO—MINERVA  MEDICA— 
THE    PORUM— TRIUMPHAL    ARCHES,    dcC,    &C. 

Rome,  January. 
Dear    H.— I  no  sooner  despatch  one  letter  than  I  com- 
mence  another ;  for  these  long  epistles  of  mine  are  not  writ- 
ten  all  at  one  time,  I  can  assure  you,  but    each  day  teems 
with  scenes  new  and  strange,  and  I  take  note  of  them  as 
they  pass,  or  as  I  think  they  will  most  interest   you.     My 
husband  laughs,  and  tells  me  they  will  never  be  read  by  any 
of  you;  but  if  you  find  them  too  puzzling  to  decipher,  or  te- 
dious to  peruse,  leave  them  for  me  when  I  return.     I  .should 
not,  perhaps,  be  half  so  observing  of  things,  or   scrutinize 
them  so  closely,  were  it  not  for  my  wish  to  describe  what  I 
see,  to  those  I  have  left  at  home,  and  whom  I  wish  should 
share  the  pleasure  I  am  so  much  enjoying.     It  serves,  too, 
to  impress  upon  my  mind,  things  which  would  otherwise  be 
soon  obliterated  by  the  constant  succession  of  novelties,  and 
will  be  an  aid  to  memory  when  I  review  them  afterwards. 

We  will  now  go  to  the  Vatican,  the  splendid  pontifical 
palace  from  whence  issued  the  thunders  that  commanded 
and  overawed  in  former  times,  the  whole  of  Christendom. 
It  is  said  to  contain  eleven  thousand  rooms  ;  eight  principal, 
and  two  hundred  small  staircases.  A  very  small  portion  of  it, 
however,  is  now  occupied  by  his  Holiness,  the  greater  part  be- 
ing  appropriated  to  the  various  collections  of  art  and  anti- 
quities.  It  contains  wonders  and  marvels  enough  for  many 
a  day's  delight  and  admiration.     The    library   occupies  a 


«^34  WONDERS    OP   ART. 


good  portion,  and  contains,  as  you  may  imagine,  many  liter- 
ary  curiosities,  but  curious  most  to  the  learned  and  wise. 
You  would  hardly   fancy  the  Vatican  a  repository  for  love 
letters  ;  yet  its  library  contains  seventeen,  written  by  Hen- 
ry VIII.  to  Ann  Boleyn,  nine  in  French,  and  eight  in  En- 
glish.     It  has  been  said  by  some  one,  that    there  were  m 
ancient  Rome  more  statues  than  inhabitants ;  and  it  is  cal- 
culated, that  there  have  been  dug  up  in  and  about  Rome  at 
least  seventy  thousand ;  and  very  many  of  these  stone  shadows 
of  humanity  now  people  the  Vatican.     Of  these,  the  Laocoon 
and  the  Apollo  Belvidere  are  familiar,  in  name  at  least,  to 
all  the  world.     I  am  not  artistical  enough  to  praise  or  crit- 
icise,  but  I  do  admire.     The  Hall  of  Animals,  I  think  one 
of  the  most  attractive  in  the  whole  collection  ;  every  thing 
here  seems  so  true  to  nature  and  to  life  ;  not  only  the  anat- 
omy  and   action,  but  even  the  spots  and  stripes  are  some- 
times represented  in  the  marble,  you   would  think  miracu- 
louslv.     There  is  a  long  gallery,  too,  filled  with   beautiful 
candelabra   in  bronze    and  marble,  ancient  and  modern ; 
one  suite  of  rooms  devoted  to  Egyptian  Antiquities,  another 
to  Etruscan.     Some    of  the  long  galleries  are  ornamented 
with  ancient  geographical   maps    painted  on  their  walls-- 
some  with  bright  and  vivid  frescoes  from  the  glowing  pencil 
of  Raphael,   and  others  are  hung  with  tapestry  executed  m 
the  Flemish  towns  from  his  designs.     Besides   these,    are 
rooms,  the  walls  and  ceilings    of  which    are  covered    with 
paintino-s  by  the  divine  artist  and  his  pupils,  a  train  of  fifty 
of  whom  always  attended  him  here.     The  Vatican  contains 
few  paintings ;  but  among  these  few,  are  the  master-pieces 
of  the  world.     The  Transfiguration,  by  Raphael,  the  Com- 
munion of  St.  Jerome,  by  Domenichino,    are    first.     The 
Transfiguration  is  one  destined  to  remain  in  the  memory  of 
the  observer  longer  than  other  of  the  great  chef  d'cBuvres. 
The  Madonna  di  Foligno,  by  Raphael,  is  exquisite.     In  Ma- 


HAJHAEL. 


283 


donnas  he  excelled  ;  his   Madonnas  ^e  always  so  spiritual, 
fit  ever  to  be  enthroned  on  clouds!  his  models  were  not  of 
the  earth,  earthy  ;  but  drawn  from  his  own  beautiful  imag. 
inings      Ah  !  how  exquisitely  beautiful  they  are  !     I  reaUy 
feel  sad  to  think  how  great  a  deprivation  it  will  be,   in  mv 
own  dear  land,  not  to  have  any  of  these   exquisite  produc- 
tions  of  the  chisel  and  pencil  to  look  upon,  one  does  so  love 
to  dwell  and  hnger  where  they  are.     I  have  heard  it  esti- 
mated,  that  the  corridor  leading  from  the  entrance  of  the 
Vatican  to  that  of  the  Museum,  is  from  half  to  three  quar- 
ters  of  a  mile  ;  with  this  long  walk,  and  standing  for  hours 
upon  marble  floors,  amid  these  stone  figures  that  seem  to  ra- 
diate  cold,  as  the  sun  does  heat,  you   may   fancy,  notwith- 
standuig  we  are  surrounded  by  things  most  wonderful    and 
beautiful   the  animal  quite  overcomes  the  mental  and  intel- 
lectual  of  our  nature.     The  base  alloy  of  our   composition 
begins  to  be  perceptible  ;  cold  and   hunger  drive  us  home, 
and  as  vve  found,  on  our  exit  from  the   palace,   that  it  was 
cloudy,  damp   and  chilly,   we  were  glad  enough  to  be  at 
home   and  within  reach  of  creature  comforts,  fire  and  food. 

Friday  was  the  first  day  that  we  really  made  a  business 
of  sight-seeing;  and  when  I  have  closed  my  account  of  the 
day,  you  will  say  we  have  indeed  explored  a  wide  field,  and 
have  accomplished  much.  We  went  first  to  the  Piazza  del 
Popolo,  where  is  an  ancient  Egyptian  obelisk.  We  visited 
here  two  churches,  no  ways  remarkable,  except  that  they 
serve  as  places  of  sanctuary  to  criminals  ;  from  this,  to  the 
Piazza  di  Spagnia,  on  the  Pincian  Hill,  whence  you  obtain 
a  fine  view ;  next  to  the  Monte  Caballo,  where  are  two  col- 
lossa  statues,  one  by  Praxiteles,  and  the  other  by  Phidias. 
I  he  latter  is  more  generally  admired  ;  but  the  first  pleased 
me  most—Then  to  the  beautiful  fountain  in  the  Piazza  del 
Termini  We  visited  the  church  of  St.  Bernard,  supposed 
to  have  formed  part  of  Dioclesian's  baths,  and  that  of  San- 


236  CHURCH    OF    SANTA    MARIA.  ^ 

ta  Maria  della  Angqji,   said  to  have  been  the  place  where 
the  wrestlers  exercised  in  bad  weather  ;  but  now  converted 
into  a  beautiful  church,  and  containing  some  exquisite  paint- 
ings,  and  some  stupendous  pillars  of  oriental  granite.     This 
church  also  formed  part  of  Dioclesian's  baths,  which  were 
built  by  Christians,  who  afterwards  suffered  martyrdom.     It 
is  in  the  form  of  a  Greek  Cross.     The  entrance  was  a  Cal- 
darium  belonging  to  the  baths,  and  contains  now  the  monu. 
ments  of  Carlo  Muratti  and  Salvator  Rosa.     From  this  we 
went  to  the  gardens  of  Saliust,  at  this  time  covered   with 
snow  sufficient  for  us  to  leave  our  foot  prints  in  our  wander- 
ings  through  them.     Near  it  was  the  temple  of  the  \  estals, 
where  is  still  seen  the  place  in  which  were  entombed  alive 
the  vestals  who  were  unfaithful  to  their  vows.     The  church 
of  Santa  Maria  Maggiore  has  two  beautiful  fronts  ;  on  the 
piazza  of  one  rises  an  obelisk  of  red  Egyptian  granite,  and 
in  the  centre  of  the  other,  a  Corinthian  fluted  column  of  Pa- 
rian marble,  at  least  eighty  feet  high,  said  to  have  been  ta- 
ken  from  the  temple  of  Peace.     This  church  stands  on  the 
Esquiline  Hill,  on  the  site  of  the  temple  of  Juno  Lucina  : 
the  nave  is  supported  by  thirty-six  columns  of  white  marble, 
and  forty  of  granite;  and  the  baldachino,  by  antique  col- 
umns  of  porphyry.     Its  chapels  are  richly  and  elaborately 
ornamented;  some  painted  by  Michael  Angelo,  others    by 
Guido,  and  decorated  with  fine  bas  reliefs,  and  inlaid  with 
precious  marbles  in  great  profusion.     We  went  next  to  the 
church  of  San  Giovanni  in  Laterano,  called  the    Mother 
Church  of  Rome.     Its  piazza  presents  one  of  the  finest  and 
largest  obelisks  here,  consisting  of  one  single  block  of  red 
granite,  one  hundred-feet  high,  without  the  pediment.     The 
church  contains  numerous  fine  paintings  and  statues,  and  has 
a  richly  decorated  front.  Opposite  to  it  is  the  Scala  Santa,  the 
stairs  of  Pilate's  judgment-hall,   which  the  Savior  descend- 
ed, when  he  was  led  away  to  be  crucified.     Three  women 


PRIESTS    AND   PENITENTS.  237 


and  a  man  were  ascending  them  on  their  knees,  kissing 
each  step  first,  and  saying  a  pater  noster  at  every  one.  The 
steps  are  of  marble,  but  have  been  so  much  worn  as  to 
make  it  necessary  to  cover  them  with  wood,  and  this  cover- 
ing  has  been  many  times  renewed. 

After  this,  we  left  the  carriage,  and  took  a  long  walk  to 
see  a  "ruinous  old  ruin"  of  the  temple  of  Minerva  Medica, 
whence  many  beautiful  statues   have    been  taken,  and  are 
now  in  the  Vatican.     From  the  site  of  the  church  of  Santa 
Croce  de  Gerusaleme,  we  obtain    a  fine   view  and  idea  of 
the  Amfiteatro  Castreuse,  and  the  remains  of  the  Claudian 
Aqueduct,  and  of  the  temple  of  Venus  and    Cupid.     At  the 
church  of  St.  Bilbas  was  shown  us  the  pillar  at  which  the 
saint  suffered  martyrdom  by  fire.     We  entered  the   church 
of  St.  Proxede,  merely  to  see  its  internal  ornaments  and  rel- 
ics,  expecting  to  find   it  nearly,  or    quite    empty.     Usually 
there  are,    here   and   there,  a  few  kneeling  at  some  of  the 
many  shrines,  each  to  his  favorite  or  patron  saint,  or   at 
some  one  of  the  confessional  boxes,  whispering  to  the  care- 
less  and  indifferent  looking  priest,  a  catalogue  of  the  petty 
sins  and  transgressions  of  the  past  week  or  month.     Instead 
of  the  vacant,  empty  space   which  with  us  is  always  filled 
with  seats  or  pews,  the  whole  body  of  the  church  was  occu- 
pied  by  some  two  or  three  companies  of  soldiers  in  uniform: 
one  knee  was  bent  to  the  cold  marble  pavement,  their  hands 
clasped  together  on  the  breast,  their  heads  bare,  and  their 
military  caps  on  the  floor  beside  them.     Their  faces    were 
all  turned  towards  the  grand  altar,  where  a  single  priest  in 
his  simple  black  and  white  robes,  officiated.     Before    the 
steps  of  the  altars  of  the  different  shrines  or  chapels,  along 
the  sides  of  the  church,  kftelt  their  officers,  their  heads  un- 
covered,    but   their  cloth  cloaks  a  la  militaire,    gracefully 
wrapped  about  them.     The  priest  chanted  something  like  a 
litany,    and  the  soldiers  with  one  voice  sang  the  response. 


538  ANCIENT    TEMPLES. 


The  music  and  the  time  were  admirable,  and  they  seemed 
familiar  with  both.  The  effect  and  tout  ensemble  were  in- 
describably beautiful,  and  appeared  to  me  the  height  of  sol- 
emnity and  sublimity.  We  made  our  way  to  the  rear  of  the 
church,  where  we  remained  standing  and  listening,  till  the 
service  was  over,  when  they  defiled  by  us,  and  passed  out 
of  the  church.  Among  the  treasures  of  this  church,  is  the 
pillar  taken  from  Pilate's  judgment-hall,  to  which  the  Sa- 
vior was  bound,  while  being  scourged  by  his  soldiers  :  this 
is  in  a  private  chapel,  which  is  kept  locked,  and  where  lights 
are  always  burning,  and  though  gentleman  Protestants  are 
admitted  within  to  see  it,  ladies  are  only  allowed  to  look  at 
it  through  a  grating. 

After  this  we  directed  our  course  to  the  forum,  where  are 
concentrated  the  most  interesting  of  Rome's  ruins.  Here 
may  still  be  seen  a  few  of  the  arches  of  the  tabularium,  in 
whose  acrhives  the  public  acts  were  kept  on  tables  of 
bronze  ;  portions  of  the  temples  of  Concord  and  Fortune, 
and  three  fine  Corinthian  columns  of  Jupiter  Stator,  or  as 
others  suppose,  of  a  building — "a  vast  diplomatic  tribune," 
used  for  the  reception  of  various  foreign  ambassadors  ;  the 
cura  hostilia,  where  the  senate  assembled,  and  near  which 
stood  the  famous  fig-tree,  under  whose  branches  Remus  and 
Romulus  were  suckled  by  the  wolf.  Closing  the  scene  with 
the  beautiful  and  majestic  arch  of  Septimius  Severus,  we 
proceeded  along  the  ancient  Via  Sacra,  passing  by  the  tem- 
ple of  Antoninus  and  Faustina — of  Romulus  and  Remus,  the 
three  beautifully  stuccoed  arcades  of  the  temple  of  Peace, 
the  temples  of  Venus  and  Rome,  we  reach  at  last  the  Coli- 
seum ;  the  arches  of  Constantine,  and  of  Titus  ;  the  three 
most  imposing  and  interesting  remains  of  ancient  Rome. 
The  two  triumphal  arches  are  very  perfect,  and  both  seem 
loaded  with  the  heavy  bas  relief  which  ornaments  them. 


239 

That  of  Titus  has  on  one  side  of  the  interior  of  the  arch, 
the  conqueror  in  a  car  ofvictory ;  on  the  other,  Jewish  cap- 
tives, the  table,  the  seven-branched  golden  candlestick,  and 
representations  of  other  spoils  from  the  temple  of  Jerusalem. 
It  certainly  detracts  somewhat  from  our  admiration,  even 
when  standing  within  its  portals,  that  it  was  erected  as  a 
triumph  over  the  downfall  of  Jerusalem,  the  Holy  Hill  of 
Sion,  and  of  those  favored  nations  whom  the  Almighty  had 
chosen  as  His  own  peculiar  people.  And  in  our  lamenta- 
tions over  the  fall  of  the  once  glorious  city,  we  almost 
forget  that  the  ch^en  people  had  become  unworthyto  dwell 
within  its  sacred  precincts.  We  closed  the  day  with  these, 
but  took  advantage  of  the  fine  moon-light  evening  that  suc- 
ceeded, to  behold  the  Coliseum  by  the  brilliant,  but  chasten- 
ing  light  of  a  broad  full  moon.  We  wandered  over  its  differ- 
ent stages,  rising  one  tier  above  the  other,  and  through  its 
many  arcades,  obtaining  through  the  open  arches  beautiful 
views  from  without ;  and  the  effect  of  the  moon-light  stream- 
ing through  the  various  openings,  into  the  vast  area  within, 
was  extremely  beautiful.  In  the  delicious  stillness  that 
reigned  around,  the  imagination  had; full  play,  and  after 
gazing  as  we  had,  upon  the  life-like  images  of  the  dying  and 
falling  gladiator,  and  the  disc  players  in  their  various  atti- 
tudes, it  was  not  difficult  to  people  it  with  the  voluptuous 
populace  that  once  filled  the  immensity  ot  space  before  us ; 
not  forgetting  the  poor  persecuted  christians,  who  were  also 
here  made  to  play  their  part,  for  the  amusement  of  the 
blood-thirsty  multitudes,  who  thronged  to  glut  their  appe- 
tites with  these  cruel  entertainments.  How  great  the  con- 
trast now !  the  scene  so  quiet  and  peaceful ;  shrines  and  cru- 
cifixes line  the  area  where  the  victims  played  their  part ; 
and  where  thousands  once  rushed  in  to  enjoy  the  bloody 
spectacle,    soldiers    guard  the   entrance,  that  now  visitors 


240  THE    COLISErM    BY    MOONLIGHT. 

may  enjoy  the  scene  safely,  and  without  interruption  from 
bandits  or  assassins  ; 

*'  The  moonbeams  shine, 
As  'twere  its  natural  torches,  for  divine 
Should  be  the  light  which  streams  here,  to  illume 
This  long  explored,  but  still  exhaustless  mine 
Of  contemplation,  and  the  azure  gloom 
Of  an  Italian  night,  where  the  deep  skies  assume 
Hues  which  have  words  and  speak  to  you  of  heav'n, 
Floats  o'er  the  vast  and  wondrous  monument, 
And  shadows  forth  its  glory." 

I  consider  this  evening  an  era  in  my  life,  tWscenes  of  which 
are  for  the  feeling,  and  not  for  description  ;  such  as  secure 
a  resting  place  in  the  memory  for  ever. 


THE    BATHS    OF    TITUS.  241 


LETTER  XXVL 

STATUARY EXHIBITION    AT    THE    PROPAGANDA THE    QUI- 

RINAL     PALACE THE     PANTHEON CAPITAL TARPEIAN 

ROCK STREETS,  THEIR    SINGULAR    NAMES THE    BARBE- 

RINI  PALACE VESPER  SERVICE. 

Rome. 

The  next  day  v^as  passed  in  a  similar  manner,  riding 
from  ruin  to  ruin,  and  churcli  to  church.  We  visited  again 
the  forum,  and  the  many  ruined  temples  that  once  beautified 
and  adorned  it — at  the  Coliseum,  the  arch  of  Titus  and 
of  Constantino  we  remained  to  study  —  thence  to  Tra- 
jan's column,  covered  with  beautiful  bas  reliefs,  and  stand- 
ing amid  the  mighty  ruins  of  a  temple  that  formed  a 
part  of  his  forum — then  to  the  palace  of  the  Caesars,  which 
covers  with  a  mass  of  ruins  and  heaps  of  rubbish  the  whole 
of  the  Palatine  Hill — to  the  baths  of  Caracalla,  showing  still 
beautiful  remains  of  the  mosaic  that  once  formed  its  ceiling 
and  pavement,  and  where  is  an  immense  hall,  used  by  the 
bathers  to  swim.  At  the  baths  of  Titus,  some  of  the  fres- 
coes are  as  fresh  and  perfect,  as  if  lately  done.  Here  was 
found  the  celebrated  group  of  the  Laocoon,  and  the  huge 
granite  basin  now  in  the  Vatican.  Here,  too,  was  the  pal- 
ace of  Nero,  and  the  house  of  Horace  and  Virgil.  But  I 
feel  that  we  see  too  much  and  too  many  things  of  interest, 
to  enjoy  them  as  we  ought.  They  will  prove,  however,  a 
sure  provision  for  after  reflection. 

The  next  day  being  Sunday,  we  went  with  some  friends 
to  a  large  room,  which  the  English  have  been  allowed  to  fit 
up  as  a  place  of  worship  outside  the  city  walls,  near  the  Fi- 

11 


242  THE    QUIRINAL    PALACE. 


azzo  del  Popolo  ;  and  I  do  not  remember  to  have  seen  a 
place  of  worship,  except  on  an  extraordinary  occasion,  so 
well  filled.  After  church,  w^e  took  the  road  leading  to  the 
Pincian  Hill  near  by,  where  is  the  public  promenade  of 
Rome.  It  affords  a  lovely  view,  a  fine  promenade,  and  a 
good  carriage  road,  and  is  much  frequented,  particularly  on 
a  Sunday,  between  the  hours  of  twelve  and  four.  A  little 
farther  on,  near  the  place  d'Espagne,  are  the  houses  once 
occupied  by  Poussin,  Salvator  Rosa,  and  Claude  Lorraine. 
On  the  steps  descending  to  the  place  d'Espagne,  were 
seated  a  picturesqus  group  of  Calabrian  peasants,  M'ith  their 
novel  costume,  and  primitive  looking  bag-pipes,  composed 
of  reeds  and  the  skin  of  a  pig. 

In  the  afternoon,  Mr.  C.  with  a  friend,  made  use  of  their 
tickets  of  admission  to  the  exhibition  at  the  propaganda. 
The  students  were  from  almostevery  partof  the  world,  each 
delivering  a  short  oration  in  his  native  tongue — altogether 
about  forty  different  languages.  There  was  one  from  Wash- 
ington, United  States,  one  from  China,  and  also  from  all  the 
intermediate  countries.  They  returned  very  well  pleased,  if 
not  edified. 

Another  day,  we  accepted  an  invitation  of  some  friends  to 
share  their  permit  to  «ee  the  Quirinal  palace,  and  the  pope's 
private  collection  of  Etruscan  antiquities  at  the  Vatican ; 
both  which  require  a  special  permission.  Being  the  pope's 
summer  residence,  it  was  at  this  time  divested  of  some  of  its 
furniture  and  garnishing.  There  was  no  great  degree  of 
splendor— some  fine  specimens  of  the  arts,  such  as  paint- 
ings,  bas  reliefs,  a  very  pretty  chapel  for  his  private  devo- 
lions,  and  a  profusion  of  crosses,  crucifixes,  &c.,  in  the  dif- 
ferent apartments.  A  billiard  table  in  one  of  the  apartments, 
struck  us  as  singular ;  but  upon  inquiry,  we  were  told  it 
was  placed  there  by  Napoleon,  and  had  been  suffered  tore- 
main  as  a  memento  of  him.     Leaving  these,  we  drove  to 


THE    PANTHEON.  243 


the  Vatican  to  see  the  Etruscan  antiquities.  Many  things 
were  similar  to  a  multitude  of  the  same  kind  we  had  al- 
ready visited.  The  personal  ornaments  of  fine  gold,  beau- 
tifully wrought,  were  the  most  novel  and  curious,  and  showed 
the  perfection  of  the  art  in  that  early  day.  A.n  ancient 
chariot  or  car  interested  me,  as  did  the  interior  of  some 
ancient  sepulchres  or  tombs,  with  everything  found  in  them. 
We  were  shown  also  the  gardens  of  the  palace,  which  are 
extensive,  affording  from  many  points  fine  views  ;  but  laid 
out  in  that  quaint  and  formal  style  that  is  rather  outre  and 
strange,  than  beautiful.  We  took  leave  here  of  our  friends, 
and  after  visiting  a  fountain,  a  church,  and  an  ancient  thea- 
tre, drove  to  the  Pantheon,  perhaps  the  most  beautiful,  and 
certainly  the  most  perfect  monument  of  ancient  Rome,  and 
to  me  more  interesting  than  any  other.  It  still  retains  its 
original  form  and  dimensions,  and  the  finish  of  the  interior 
remains  the  same,  though  robbed  of  its  exterior  decorations 
of  gold  and  bronze.  It  has  no  windows,  but  is  lighted  by  a 
circular  opening  in  the  centre  of  its  dome.  The  body  of 
the  building  is  circular,  supported  inside  by  beautiful  columns 
of  precious  marble,  resting  on  a  pavement  rich  in  porphyry 
and  granite.  The  whole  interior  is  encrusted  with  rare  and 
costly  marble,  and  contained  originally  three  rows  of  niches, 
the  lower  intended  for  statues  of  the  infernal  deities,  the  se- 
cond for  terrestrial  heroes,  and  the  higher  for  the  celestial 
divinities.  Its  piazza  is  a  market-place,  with  a  pretty  foun- 
tain, and  an  obelisk  of  Egyptian  granite,  covered  with  hie- 
roglyphics. The  Pantheon  serves  as  a  tomb  for  the  re- 
mains of  Raphael,  Annibale  Carracci,  and  some  Cardinals 
of  note.  "A  sanctuary  and  home  of  art  and  piety,"  a  "  re- 
lic of  nobler  days  and  nobler  arts." 

The  next  day  we  visited  the  capitol,  "  despoiled  yet  per- 
fect," and  the  collection  of  paintings  and  statuary  it  con- 
tains.    Here,  we  find  the  celebrated  dying  Gladiator,  An- 


244  THE  DUNGEON  OF  ST.  PETER. 

t incus  ;  a  fawn  celebrated  for  its  beauty  ;  a  Venus,  by  some 
thought  more  beautiful  than  the  Venus  di  Medici,  and  the 
bronze  statue  of  a  boy  extracting  a  thorn  from  his  foot  ;  this 
last  is  exquisite,  so  full  of  truth,  beauty  and  nature.  The 
boy  seems  so  intent,  and  as  you  stand  regarding  him  so 
unsuccessful,  that  you  feel  induced  to  offer  him  assistance. 
Here  also  is  the  "  thunder  stricken  nurse  of  Rome,"  the 
brazen  image  of  the  wolf  that  suckled  the  men  of  iron,  Ro- 
mulus and  Remus,  and  which  was  struck  by  lightning  when 
great  Caesar  fell.  There  is  an  apartment  filled  with  Egyp- 
ian  statues,  taken  from  Adrian's  villa  ;  and  another  called 
the  hall  of  philosophers,  contains  busts,  not  only  of  the  cele- 
brated Greek  and  Roman  philosophers,  but  of  their  poets 
and  historians.  What  a  field  for  the  phrenologist  is  here  ! 
What  food  for  the  antiquarian  amid  the  "domes  of  thought, 
these  palaces  of  the  soul."  The  pictures  of  this  collection 
are  more  in  number  than,  and  (though  some  of  them  are 
very  beautiful  and  of  great  reputation,)  are  unlike  those 
of  the  Vatican,  which,  though  few,  are  each  the  chefd'oeuvres 
of  the  masters,  and  celebrated  over  the  world. 

From  the  capitol  we  went  to  the  Tarpeian  rock,  the  pro- 
montory whence  the  traitor's  leap  cured  all  ambition.  It  is 
somewhat  diminished  from  the  time  that  the  conspirator, 
Cassius,  was  thrown  from  its  dizzy  height ;  but  still  affords 
depth  sufficient  to  deter  one  from  risking  a  leap,  unless  he 
had  a  desire  to  throw  off  this  mortal  coil.  Near  to  this  is 
the  Mamertine  prison,  in  whose  dim,  drear  light,  many  illus- 
trious persons  have  pined  in  agony.  We  were  shown  the 
dungeon  where  St.  Peter  was  confined,  and  where  is  still 
the  spring,  said  to  have  appeared  miraculously  in  the  floor 
of  his  prison-house,  furnishing  water  wherewith  to  baptize 
his  jailer  and  fellow-prisoner.  This  closed  another  day, 
and  we  turned  towards  our  temporary  home.  The  house  in 
which  we  at  present  live,  is  in  the  "  street  of  lobsters." 


THE    DEVIL    AND    THE    WIND.  245 

Our  breakfast  is  brought  to  us  through  the  "  mouth  of  the 
lion."  To  get  to  the  restaurant,  where  we  occasionally 
dine,  we  go  by  the  "way  of  the  converted."  Near  by  us 
is  the  "  altar  of  heaven,"  the  "  street  of  the  Saviour,"  the 
"  way  of  truth,"  and  the  "street  of  the  cross,"  and  many 
others  quite  as  curious,  but  w^hich  I  cannot  now  remember. 
I  intended  to  have  made  out  a  list  of  some  of  the  streets  we 
daily  pass  through,  their  names  are  so  very  singular.  Be- 
sides these,  there  is  a  corner  they  call  the  "  place  of  the 
wind,"  where  the  Jesuits'  college  is  located.  The  story 
goes  that  the  devil  and  the  wind  were  taking  a  walk  toge- 
ther one  day,  and  when  passing  the  college,  the  devil  said, 
"  wait  for  me  a  bit ;  I  have  a  little  business  in  here."  So 
he  went  in  and  never  came  out  again,  and  the  wind  has 
been  waiting  for  him  ever  since. 

The  next  day,  we  drove  out  of  the  Porta  Sebastiana,  and 
stopped  first  at  the  mausoleum  of  the  Scipios,  which,  though 
it    has   been   stripped    of   its   beautiful    sarcophagi,    busts, 
and  bas    reliefs,  still   contains  numerous  tablets   with  the 
names   of  different  members    of  the   family,  and   inscrip- 
tions to  their  memory.     We  next  visited  the  burial-place 
of  the  Caesars,  or  as  some  suppose,   only  of  their  freed- 
men.     It  is  but  three  years  since  this  last  was  discovered, 
and  having    been  left,  with    its  contents,  in    the  state  in 
which  it  was  found,  is  the  most  interesting  thing  of  the 
kind  one  can  visit,  as  it  gives  a  perfect  idea  of  the  manner 
of  the  burial,  and  of  preserving  the  burnt  remains  of  the 
dead.     The  vault  is  frescoed  and  otherwise   embellished 
and  bas  shelves  and  niches  filledwith  cinerary  urns,  contain 
ing  ashes  and  bones,  with  inscriptions  and  names  of  differ 
ent  individuals  upon  them.     From  this  we  went  to  the  cir 
cus  of  Romulus,  the  most  perfect  remains  of  a  circus  exist 
ing.     Close  by  it,  is  the  tomb  of  Cicilia  Metalla,  a  massive 
tower-like  structure ;  having  been  in  modern  times  turreted 
and  fortified,  it  has  quite  the  appearance  of  a  fortress.     We 


246  THE    CATACOMBS. 


then  crossed  to  the  grotto  of  the  nymph  Egevia,  so  long  and 
often  sung  by  poets  and  historians.  It  is  pretty  and  ro- 
mantic in  its  situation.  The  grotto  itself  is  covered  and 
lined  with  ivy  and  water-plants ;  the  water  pours  in  the 
interior  of  the  grot,  from  marble  spouts,  over  a  broken  sta- 
tue reclining  underneath.  We  walked  along  the  valley  of 
the  Ovidian  Almo,  pausing  to  look  at  the  ancient  temple  of 
the  Ridicolo,  built  of  brick  and  mortar,  but  exhibiting  some 
beautiful  friezes  and  capitols  to  its  pilaster  columns.  At 
the  church  of  St.  Sebastian,  is  a  fine  statue,  representing 
the  saint  after  his  martyrdom.  Underneath  the  church,  is 
the  entrance  to  the  extensive  and  well  known  catacombs  of 
Rome — interesting  like  others,  for  having  served  the  early 
christians  for  hiding  places,  during  the  days  of  their  perse- 
cution ;  where  the  faithful  worshipped  while  living,  and 
where  they  and  the  martyrs  are  supposed  to  have  rested 
when  dead.  The  tombs  bearing  inscriptions  in  Greek,  sig- 
nifying "Pro  Christi,"  are  supposed  to  be  the  resting  places 
of  those  who  suffered  death  for  Christ's  sake.  Here  was 
found  the  body  of  St.  Cecilia,  with  an  inscription  certifying 
the  same.  We  paused  on  our  return  to  see  the  huge  pyra- 
midal monument  of  Caius  Sextus,  and  thence  drove  to  the 
church  of  St.  Paul,  built  over  the  tomb  of  the  apostle.  Hav- 
ing  suffered  much  by  fire,  it  is  now  being  rebuilt  at  great 
cost,  and  with  great  splendor  and  magnificence. 

Some  of  our  days  have  been  spent  in  visiting  the  nume- 
rous palaces,  all  of  which  contain  collections,  large  or 
small,  of  pictures,  and  all  with  great  liberality  open  to  visi- 
tors. Some  of  the  collections  are  large,  and  have  in  them 
many  fine  paintings  ;  others  are  smaller,  but  the  few  are 
very  choice.  The  Barberini  palace  has  not  many;  but 
among  them  is  the  celebrated  Cenci,  by  Guido  ;  so  lovely, 
it  seems  almost  divine — such  a  combination  of  the  mortal 
and  spiritual  in  expression,  I  have  never  seen  in  a  picture. 


THE    VESPER    SERVICE.  247 

Raphael's Foriiarini  equally  celebrated;  but  which  I  do  not 
admire.     As  a  painting,  there  is  perhaps  no  fault ;  but  it 
looks,    as   ft,  represents  Raphael's  mistress,   as  if  of  the 
earth  earthy.     So  much,  doubtless,  for  association — as  when 
regarding  the  Cenci,  one  feels  a  sympathy  while  looking  up- 
on her  pure,  sweet  face,  as  with  one  who  has  suffered  in 
virtue's  cause.     There  is  also  here  a  sweet  portrait,  by  Ti- 
tian.    The  Farnese  palace  was  built  from  the  Coliseum.     It 
contains  some  fine  frescoes,  but  no  paintings.     The  palace 
Spadahas  a  good  collection  by  celebrated  painters;  but  the 
treasure  of  the  palace  is  the  statue  of  Pompey,  "  at  whose 
base  great  Caesar  fell."     We  found  ourselves  at  leisure, 
after  visiting  one  other  palace — so  concluded  to  hie  us  to 
St.  Peter's,  and  contemplate  its  wonders  over  again.     As 
we  drew  near  the  bridge  which  passes  over  old  Tiber's 
sluggish  stream,   we  noticed    carriages  one  afler  another 
driving  rapidly  towards  the  church.     On  entering  and  in- 
quiring, we  were  told  that  it  was  the  anniversary  of  the  con- 
secration of  the  chair  of  St.  Peter's.     The  services  had 
been  performed  in  the  morning  with  great  ceremony  ;  but 
not  being   aware  of  it,  we  had  missed  it.     Vespers  were 
now  about  to  be  performed  in  the  capella  del  coro,  the  cha- 
pel where  morning  mass  is  performed  by  the  Cardinals. 
The  vesper  service  is  all  music ;  and  at  Rome,  the  music  in 
many  of  the  churches  far  exceeds  that  of  the  opera.     Oppo- 
site the  door  by  which  you  enter  the  chapel,  is  the  altar 
richly  decorated    with  all  that   is  beautiful   and  precious. 
Above  is  a  splendid  mosaic  of  the  conception,  forming  a  back 
ground  to  the  altar.    At  each  end  of  the  chapel  is  an  organ, 
which  we  should  call  a  large  one ;  each  has  an  orchestra, 
composed  of  about  twenty  vocal  performers,  with  some  in- 
strumental.    The  arched  vault  above  is  divided  into  small 
compartments,    containing    fine  bas  reliefs,  all  richly  gilt. 
And  now  if  you  could  hear  the  angelic  strains  which  filled 


248  THRILLING    MUSIC. 


this  magnificent  little  temple,  (one  of  the  many  in  St.  Peter's,) 
you  mi^ht  well  fancy  yourself  in  the  spheres  above.  The 
singers  were  all,  or  nearly  all,  priests.  Among  them  were 
two  Soprano  voices  that  took  part  alternately ;  and  one  in 
particular,  I  could  scarce  believe  was  not  the  voice  of  a  fe- 
male. It  was  so  rich,  full,  and  melodious,  that  methinks  I 
never  heard  it  equalled.  And  in  some  of  the  solos  there 
was  so  much  pathos,  that  my  heart  truly  ached  with  delight 
and  sadness.  Occasionally,  a  fine  tenor  sung  a  duet  with 
one  of  these ;  then  the  whole  choir  joined  in  the  chorus, 
and  those  in  the  opposite  side  took  up  the  swelling  strains  ; 
the  organ's  pealing  notes  reverberated  from  side  to  side, 
and  it  was  more  than  harmony  ;  it  was  ecstacy — at  least, 
such  was  the  cause  and  effect.  The  only  drawback  was, 
that  no  seats  were  provided  for  any  but  the  priests ;  and  we 
were  obliged  to  remain  standing  through  the  whole,  and 
from  fatigue,  we  found  a  seat  in  the  carriage,  quite  a  relief. 


EXCURSION    TO    TIVOLI.  249 


LETTER  XXVII. 

THE    OPERA TIVOLI ITS    CASCADES PRESENTATION     TO 

THE    POPE HIS  MODE    OF  DILUTING  WINE HIS  APPEAR 

ANCE BLESSING      HORSES CRAWFORD,     THE     SCULPTOR, 

TERRY    AND    FREEMAN,    &;C. 

In  the  evening,  Mr.  C.  with  a  friend,  went  to  the  Opera. 
I  from  choice  remained  at  home,  considering  a  quiet  even- 
ing by  the  fire-side  a  luxury  above  all  others.  The  other 
day  Mr.  C.  had  sent  home  to  me  a  collection  of  mosaics, 
from  which  to  select  one  for  myself.  There  were  very  many 
beautiful  ones,  and  I  should  have  found  the  choice  very  dif- 
ficult, and  perhaps  been  scarcely  satisfied  with  any  selection 
I  might  have  made ;  but  among  them  one  caught  my  eye 
directly,  and  my  choice  was  fixed.  It  was  no  other  than 
the  celebrated  landscape  of  Gaspar  Poussin,  taken  from  the 
road  to  Tivoli,  including  thePonte  de  Lucano,  and  the  tomb 
of  Plautius  Lucanus,  the  same  that  hangs  behind  the  parlor 
door  at  home,  and  with  which  I  have  been  familiar  from 
childhood.  It  really  seemed  to  me  the  most  lovely  thing  of 
the  kind  I  have  ever  looked  upon,  and  I  have  since  thought 
whether  it  be  in  reality  so  beautiful  as  it  seems  to  me,  or  if 
my  admiration  is  ov/ing  to  association  and  attachment.  At 
all  events,  it  is  the  copy  of  a  celebrated  picture  by  a  master 
hand,  as  also  a  true  copy  of  nature,  as  I  had  an  opportunity 
of  judging,  when  we  made  an  excursion  to  Tivoli  ;  which  I 
was  desirous  of  doing,  chiefly  to  see  this  view. 

Our  excursion  to  Tivoli  occupied  a  long   day,  and  was 
very  delightful.     The    road  makes   some    steep  and    high 

11* 


250  ARTIFICIAL    CASCADES. 

ascents,  affording  extensive  and  delightful  views  over  lovely 
vallies  and  a  beautiful  campania.  We  passed  on  the  road  a 
canal  leading  from  a  sulphur  lake,  about  a  mile  distant,  and 
the  smell  coming  from  it  was  dreadful.  The  water  in  the 
canal  is  of  a  milky  whiteness.  The  town  of  Tivoli  is  beau- 
tifully situated  on  an  exceeding  high  cliff,  steep  and  preci- 
pitous, yet  covered  with  a  rich  verdure  even  at  this  cold 
season,  and  looks  upon  the  old  city  of  the  Sabines,  and  upon 
a  valley  sufficiently  lovely  to  be  the  Arcadia  of  Rasselas. 
From  these  heights,  and  into  this  vale,  fall  the  cascades  of 
Tivoli.  These  are  artificial,  the  water  being  brought  from 
the  river  Almo,  or  rather  the  river  itself  is  turned  from  its 
natural  course,  and  led  by  a  subterranean  canal  to  the  ledge 
of  rocks,  and  precipitates  itself  down  its  verdant  and  grassy 
sides,  into  the  valley  below.  The  rock  itself  is  said  to  be 
formed  of  a  deposition  from  the  water,  mixed  with  the  bran- 
ches and  roots  of  trees  petrified ;  in  the  neighborhood  of 
TivO'i  is  a  small  lake,  possessing  this  petrifying  quality  to  a 
great  degree,  and  in  these  rocks  near  the  different  cascades, 
(for  there  are  many,)  you  will  see  grottoes  with  large  and 
beautiful  stalactites  ornamenting  their  roof  and  sides.  The 
waters  of  these  cascades  are  led  by  canals  or  aqueducts,  to 
different  places.  In  one  place,  it  is  made  to  fall  from  the 
windows  of  a  magnificent  villa  ;  in  another,  it  is  brought 
through  two  subterranean  tunnels,  which  unite  their  waters 
into  one  cascade.  There  are  several  of  these  cascades  one 
after  another,  at  short  intervals,  and  you  view  them  from  the 
opposite  side  of  a  narrow  valley,  or  gorge,  and  the  view  of 
the  town  on  its  rocky  heights,  with  these  beautiful  cascades 
rolling  down  its  grassy  cliffs,  is  lovely  beyond  description. 
I  had  the  nicest  little  donkey  it  has  ever  been  my  lot  to  ride 
upon  ;  I  could  mount  from  the  ground  without  assistance, 
he  was  so  small  ;  yet  he  was  so  ambitious,  that  he  would 
allow  neither  man  nor  beast  to  be  in  advance  of  him.   There 


POPE    GREGORY    XVI.  251 

was  an  inundation  of  the  river  in  1826,  that  carried  away  a 
bridge,  and  destroyed  the  largest  and  most  beautiful  cas- 
cade,  by  forcing  away  the  rocks  over  which  the  water  fell. 
On  the  summit,  overlooking  this  cidevant  grand  cascade,  are 
two  beautiful  ancient  temples,  one  of  the  Tibertine  Sybil, 
and  the  other  of  Vesta. 

The  road  commanding  all  these  fine  views  takes  us  a 
round  of  about  four  miles,  and  passes  the  ancient  villas  of 
Quintillius  Varus,  Mycse,  and  Horace.  I  know  not  when 
or  where  we  have  seen  finer  scenery,  or  passed  a  more  de- 
lightful day  ;  and  such  verdure  in  the  middle  of  winter, 
seems  to  us  almost  magical.  Leaving  Tivoli,  we  returned 
through  a  grove  of  thickly  planted  and  luxuriant  olives,  ex- 
tending many  miles.  We  stopped  at  Adrian's  Villa,  and 
went  over  every  portion  of  its  field  of  ruins.  Every  thing 
that  was  valuable  or  curious,  has  been  carried  to  Rome  and 
other  places,  to  decorate  palaces  or  fill  museums.  The 
different  parts  and  portions  have  all  been  named,  but  they 
are  so  very  ruinous  as  to  afford  little  pleasure  or  interest, 
save  to  the  antiquarian  and  historian.  It  is  an  extensive 
mass  of  brick  and  mortar,  and  the  reflections  and  associa- 
tions arising  from  these,  by  past  glories  of  the  great  de- 
parted, is  all  that  gives  them  interest. 

This  is  our  last  day  in  Rome.  To-morrow  we  leave  for 
Florence,  after  a  stay  of  over  a  month  in  the  Eternal 
City — little  enough,  too,  in  a  place  where  every  inch  of 
ground  is  fraught  with  interest.  We  have  one  memento  of 
our  visit  here,  which,  I  think,  will  not  soon  be  forgotten — 
our  presentation  to  Pope  Gregory  XVJ.,  which  took  place 
yesterday  afternoon.  We  were  honored  with  a  private  and 
particular  audience,  which  is  considered  very  complimen- 
tary. There  is  no  such  thing  as  a  public  presentation,  as 
at  other  European  courts.  Persons  requesting  a  presenta- 
tion,  send  in  their  names  through  the  proper  authorities, 


252  PRESENTATION    TO    THE    POPE. 

their  respective  ambassadors,  &;c.  It  is  made  known  to  the 
Pope,  and  when  a  sufficient  number  of  names  have  been 
received,  so  that  he  can  lump  them,  and  go  through  with  a 
good  many  at  once,  he  names  a  day  and  hour  for  the  cere- 
mony. A  friend  who  is  with  us,  had  letters  from  the  highest 
Catholic  authorities  in  Canada,  the  Superior  of  the  St.  Sul- 
spice,  to  the  Cardinals  and  clergy  generally  here.  These 
have  acquired  us  greater  facilities  than  we  should  other- 
wise have  had.  It  was  announced  to  us  that  we  were  to 
have  an  audience  on  Sunday,  three  P.  M.  A  young  Roman, 
to  whom  we  bore  a  letter  of  introduction,  and  who  is  the 
private  Secretary  to  the  Pope's  Secretary  of  State,  was 
to  present  us  to  his  Holiness.  Gentlemen  are  expected  to 
appear  dressed  entirely  in  black,  ladies  in  black  or  dark 
dresses,  without  bonnets,  but  covered  with  a  veil  of  white 
or  black.  So  ourselves,  our  friend,  and  an  American  artist, 
who  has  rooms  next  to  us,  were  accompanied  by  the  Signor 
P.  and  our  valet,  who  was  to  take  care  of  cloaks  and  hats. 
We  alighted  at  the  Vatican,  passed  the  Swiss  guards  in 
their  unique  costume,  ascended  the  private  staircase,  then 
through  many  lobbies  and  corridors,  to  the  Sixtine  Chapel, 
where  were  other  officers  of  the  household,  stationed,  some 
dressed  in  black  velvet  and  silk,  others  in  crimson  damask. 
We  passed  through  the  chapel,  and  out  of  the  private  door, 
by  which  the  Pope  enters  ;  then  through  other  apartments 
to  a  long  gallery.  Here  we  remained  till  announced  to  his 
Santita,  amusing  ourselves  in  the  meanwhile  in  studying  the 
antique  maps,  painted  all  frescoe  on  either  side,  and  admir- 
ing the  beautiful  fresco  paintings  from  the  pencil  of  Raphael, 
which  cover  its  ceilings.  In  fifteen  minutes,  we  were 
ushered  out  of  this,  into  a  small  room  near  by.  The  signor 
requested  the  gentlemen  to  remove  their  white  gloves,  which 
they  had  considered  so  essential ;  as  they  must  appear  with 
heads  and  hands  uncovered.     This  done,  we  entered.     The 


HIS    MANNER    AND    APPEARANCE.  253 

usual  ceremony  is  to  kneel  on  entering  the  door,  in  the 
middle  of  the  room,  and  again  at  his  feet ;  besides  which, 
all  good  Catholics  kiss  the  gold  cross  on  his  slipper,  as  well 
as  the  ring  on  his  hand,  the  stone  of  which  bears  some  holy- 
symbol.  This  the  Signer  did,  both  on  entering  and  going 
out.  Considering  it  only  as  a  court  etiquette,  Protestants 
generally  are  willing  to  go  through  the  necessary  genuflex- 
ions. One  young  English  girl  persisted  in  an  unbending 
stiffness,  despite  the  remonstrances  of  her  friends  ;  when  the 
Pope  said,  "  Urge  her  not  ;  we  do  not  exact  it — but  we 
think  an  old  man's  blessing  can  do  her  no  harm."  The 
room  of  reception  was  not  large — longer  than  wide — - 
the  floor  covered  simply  with  green  baize — the  windows 
draped  with  crimson  silk  and  embroidered  muslin.  There 
was  no  other  furniture  than  a  large  table  covered  with 
scarlet  cloth  reaching  to  the  floor.  On  this  was  a  large, 
rich,  and  heavy  gold  writing  establishment.  Behind  the 
table  was  a  platform,  on  which  was  a  large  chair,  both  co- 
vered with  scarlet  cloth.  This  was  at  the  end,  opposite  the 
door  of  entrance  ;  and  in  front  of  this,  with  his  back  against 
the  table,  stood  his  holiness  to  receive  us.  We  each  bent 
the  knee  on  entering ;  but  he  immediately  motioned  with 
his  hands  to  have  us  rise  and  come  forward.  We  obeyed, 
bending  and  bowing  as  awkwardly  as  stiff*-necked  republi- 
cans might  be  expected  to  do.    Mr.  being  in  advance, 

knelt  at  his  feet  ;  but  the  Pope  reached  out  his  hand  to 
prevent  him.  He,  however,  not  understanding  it  thus,  took 
hold  of  it,  and  rising,  gave  it  a  hearty,  friendly  shake,  quite 
a  la  American.  We  were  introduced  severally  by  name, 
and  the  place  each  came  from  named.  He  then  addressed 
each  se])arate]y,  asked  questions,  related  anecdotes,  was 
perfectly  affable  and  easy,  and  quite  garrulous ;  conversing 
in  Italian ;  though  he  understands  French.  He  was  dressed 
in  a  long  robe  of  white  cloth,  buttoned  all  the  way  down  in 


254  NEW    MODE    OF    DILUTING    WINE. 

front,  a  cape  and  loose  hanging  sleeves  over  tight  ones,  all 
of  the  same — on  his  head  a  skull  cap  of  the  same  white 
cloth,  and  on  his  feet  red  morocco  slippers,  with  a  cross  of 
gold  embroidered  on  each.  His  scarlet  cardinal's  hat  lay 
on  the  table  behind  him.  And  this  is  his  ordinary  costume, 
and  is  the  dress  of  the  fraternity  to  which  he  belonged — I 
believe,  the  Franciscan.  We  took  an  opportunity  to  offer 
for  his  blessing,  a  box  filled  with  rosaries,  crucifixes  and 
crosses,  intended  for  distribution  on  our  return,  among  some 
whom  we  know  will  value  them.  Our  interview  had  lasted 
about  twenty  minutes,  when  the  old  man  lifted  up  his  hands 
over  us,  and  murmured  a  blessing  ;  then  turned,  and  taking 
from  the  escritoire  a  golden  bell,  he  rang  it.  The  atten- 
dants without,  held  aside  the  heavy  curtain,  and  we  retro- 
graded, making  one  obeisance  as  on  entering. 

Gregory  XVI.  cannot  be  called  a  handsome  man,  save 
the  beauty  of  expression.  His  face  beams  with  benevo- 
lence and  kindness,  and  his  body  shows  none  of  the  infir- 
mities 'of  seventy  nine,  which  age  they  say  he  bears.  They 
tell  of  him,  that  it  is  his  usual  practice  to  empty  two  bottles 
of  champaigne  at  dinner  ;  but  on  his  physician  remonstrat- 
ing with  him,  assuring  him  it  would  be  greatly  to  the  injury 
of  his  health,  if  he  continued  it,  he  said,  in  future  he  would 
only  drink  one,  and  would  dilute  that  with  a  bottle  oforvietto. 
Another  "  on  dit"  is,  that  a  lady  asked  her  cicerone  if  the 
Pope  was  a  good  man.  He  replied,  "Yes,  very  indeed  ;  he 
is  so  good,  he  is  good  for  nothing."  I  had  forgotten  to 
mention,  that  on  our  way  to  this  audience,  we  passed  a  long 
procession  of  splendid  carriages,  but  all  empty ;  and  on 
inquiry,  ascertained  that  they  all  belonged  to  the  Pope,  and 
had  been  to  be  blessed.  I  forget  the  name  of  the  Saint 
who  is  the  patron  of  horses  ;  but  it  is  true  that  this  cere- 
mony has  occupied  five  days  during  the  past  week,  from 
the  multitude  of  horses,  mules  and  donkies  that  have  been 


AMERICAN    ARTISTS.  255 

brought  to  him  to  be  blessed.  The  ceremony  consists  in 
prayers  being  said  over  them,  and  holy  water  sprinkled  in 
the  faces  of  each,  by  means  of  a  small  brush,  A  gentle- 
man who  witnessed  the  performance,  said,  the  poor  animals 
appeared  not  at  all  devotional,  but  winked,  and  blinked, 
and  shook  their  heads  very  perversely. 

We  have  just  returned  from  a  ride.  We  have  been  driv- 
ing about,  to  look  our  last  upon  Rome's  most  beautiful  ruins, 
to  the  Capitoline  Museum,  to  gaze  once  more  upon  the  dy- 
ing Gladiator,  the  Venus,  &;c.,  and  to  muse  awhile  in  the 
hall  of  the  philosophers,  amid  the  busts  of  philosophers,  his- 
torians, poets  and  orators,  whose  names  and  works  seem 
imperishable.  This,  our  last  evening,  is  to  be  passed  in 
the  family  of  General  D.,  one  of  the  many  delightful  ac- 
quaintances found  during  our  long  travel  ;  and  Mrs.  D.  is 
one  of  whom  it  may  be  truly  said, 

*'  None  know  her  but  to  love  her, 
Or  name  her  but  to  praise." 

One  other  thing  I  would  mention,  before  I  close.  Wo 
have  spent  one  day  in  visiting  the  studies  of  the  different 
American  artists — sculptors  and  painters,  at  Rome.  And 
here  again  my  heart  swelled  with  pride  and  exultation,  for 
them  and  for  my  country.  I  began  to  realize  how  great  a 
deprivation  it  will  be,  when  I  return  to  the  land  I  truly  love, 
to  have  none  of  those  exquisite  productions  to  delight  one 
in  gazing  upon.  These  are  the  luxuries  of  wealth  ;  but  it 
requires  taste  to  appreciate  them.  This  we  have  yet  to 
acquire,  and  it  is  a  thing  that  grows  by  indulgence.  I  trust, 
ho  wever,  the  time  is  coming,  and  will  be  here  anon,  when 
we  shall  have  not  only  the  taste,  but  the  wherewith  to 
gratify  it.  Mr.  Crawford  has  an  "  expulsion  of  Adam  and 
Eve  from  Paradise"  ;  the  conception  is  very  beautiful  ;  but 
as  yet,  it  is  only  in  clay.  The  attitudes  and  expression 
seem  to  me  beyond  criticism.     Mr.  Terry  has  a  magnifi- 


256  MR.    FREEMAN. 


cent  painting  of  Christ  disputing  with  the  Doctors.  Mr. 
Freeman,  too,  has  some  very  beautiful  pictures,  and  all,  of 
his  own  designing.  I  like  to  see  that  there  is  still  some 
originality  existing  among  us.  I  must  stop  now ;  for  here 
is  an  end  to  my  paper.  If  my  farewells  were  as  long  as  my 
letters,  you  might  hope  for  some  rest  ;  but  for  me,  when  I 
commence  a  sheet,  and  look  upon  its  field  of  white,  I  wish 
it  were  an  acre.     Adieu. 


RADICOFANI.  257 


LETTER  XXVIIL 

JOURNEY      FROM      ROME THE     LILY     OF     ITALY THE     BA- 
ZAAR  THE    DUOMO SANTA   CROCE BALL    AT  THE   BOR- 

GHESE  PALACE THE  BOBOLI  GARDENS TYROLEAN  PEAS- 
ANTS  MANUFACTORY  OF  PIETRA  DURA CANDLEMAS- 
BALL    AT    THE    PITTI    PALACE. 

Florence,  Friday. 

My  Dear  H.— We  left  the  Eternal  City  and  its  many 
hills  with  far  more  regret  than  I  could  have  anticipated  on 
my  first  arrival.  We  left  about  noon,  the  weather  bright 
and  pleasant,  though  a  little  cold ;  but  having  the  coupee  of 
the  diligence  to  ourselves,  we  found  it  very  comfortable  and 
agreeable.  The  country  through  which  we  passed  was  de- 
cidedly uninteresting  ;  the  trees  bare,  all  things  wearing 
their  winter  apparel ;  and  the  whole  day's  ride  was  without 
interest  or  incident.  We  stopped  to  dine  at  Ronciglione, 
and  then  continued  on  our  way  through  the  dark  hours  of 
the  night.  About  ten  in  the  morning  we  reached  Radico- 
fani,  on  the  borders  of  Tuscany,  where  we  breakfasted. 

The  scenery  to-day  was  fine,  and  needed  only  the  rich 
verdure  of  summer  to  make  it  beautiful.  The  Appenines, 
with  their  snow-clad  summits,  were  before  us,  and  when 
tinged  by  the  rays  of  the  rising  and  setting  sun,  were  beau- 
tiful. The  town  of  Radicofani  is  situated  on  a  verWiigh 
hill,  which  we  were  some  two  hours  in  ascending,  and  on 
two  neighboring  hills  were  other  villages,  forming  together 
a  picturesque  view.  When  we  had  nearly  attained  the 
summit  of  the  hill,  the  diligence  proceeding  Very  slowly, 
three  or  four  little  boys  from  the  village  walked  beside  us, 


258  THE    LILY    OF   ITALY. 


and  gave  us  some  very  good  music,  all  singing  together,  and 
keeping  most  excellent  time  and  tune,  and  picking  up  bioc 
cis  that  were  thrown  to  them,  as  they  walked  along.     Our 
journey  from  Rome    seemed  to  be  an  almost  continued  as- 
cent.    We  had  always  six,  and  sometimes  nine  horses  :  in 
ascending  Radicofani,  we  had  eight  horses  and  four  oxen. 
The  difference  between  the  Papal  dominions  and  Tuscany, 
is  immediately  perceptible  on  passing  the  frontiers.     The 
country  here  is  better  cultivated,  the  people  in  better  condi- 
tion  ;  the  roads  are  far  better,  and  all  things  look  more  thri- 
ving  and  comfortable.     The  landscape  became  more  inter- 
esting  from  the  many  pretty  villages  we  passed  and  saw  in 
the  distance  ;  and  the  pretty  villas  and   ruined  castles  ren- 
dered  it  more  picturesque. 

We  arrived  at  Florence  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morning, 
and  had  all  things  arranged,  and  were   in  readiness  to  see 
what  was  to  be  seen  in  the  Lily  of  Italy,  as  the  Florentines 
call  their  charming  city.     The  galleries  of  Florence   are  of 
course  the  first  and  greatest  attractions;  but  they  have  been 
so  often  described,  that  their  contents  are,  from  descriptions 
and  copies,  familiar  to  most.     The  Bazaar  here  is  a  curious 
place,  and  contains  a  multifarious  assortment  of  things.     It 
is  a  large  enclosure,  with  passages  running  in  all  directions, 
on  either  side  of  which,  are  stands  with  long  glass  show-ca- 
ses ;  in  these  are  arranged  a  great  variety  of  things,  and  a 
card  put  up  over  each  case,  with  the  price  of  the  articles 
marked  on  it.     In  one  case,  all  the  articles  will  be  one  paul 
each ;  in  the  next,  two  pauls ;  and  so  on.     You   are    thus 
saved  the  trouble  of  asking,   and  the  vender  of  telling,  the 
price?    I  know  of  no  more  amusing  place  of  passing  a  few 
hours.     The  assortment  and  variety  is  so  complete,  that  I 
think  one  would  not  be  at  a  loss  for  anything,  from  a  "  pul- 
pit  to  a  coon  skin."     We  went  next  to  the  Duomo  or  Cathe- 
dral,   the    dome  of  which    is  said  to  be  the  largest  in  the 


THE    CATHEDRAL   OP   FLORENCE.  259 

world,  and  to  have  served  Michael  Angelo  as  the  model  of 
St.  Peter's.  The  Cathedral  is  immense,  and  covers  a  great 
extent  of  ground  :  its  whole  exterior  is  encrusted  with  mar- 
ble ;  the  white  still  retaining  much  of  its  originial  purity  of 
color,  while  the  dark  marble  has  become  quite  black,  and 
being  in  mosaic,  gives  it  very  much  the  appearance  of  hav- 
ing been  built  of  large  dominoes,  most  singular  and  unique. 
The  interior  is  large,  spacious  and  gloomy,  with  very  little 
ornament.  It  has  in  the  centre  a  large  enclosure  called  the 
Tribune,  with  a  ballustrade  of  white  marble  and  fine  bas  re- 
liefs. Close  by,  is  its  tall  campanile  and  the  baptistery, 
both  encrusted  with  the  same  marble  mosaic  as  the  duomo, 
and  all  having  the  same  outward  appearance.  The  baptis- 
tery is  in  form  octagonal,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  orig- 
inally a  heathen  temple  dedicated  to  Mars.  Its  dome  is 
lined  with  gold  mosaic  like-  those  of  St.  Mark  at  Venice. 
It  has  antique  columns  around  the  interior  forming  the  al- 
tars and  niches,  containing  statues  of  many  different  saints. 
Its  three  celebrated  bronze  doors,  with  exquisite  bas  reliefs, 
were  so  beautitul,  indeed,  as  to  cause  Michael  Angelo  to 
say  of  them,  that  they  were  fit  to  be  the  gates  of  Paradise. 

We  went  next  to  the  Church  of  Santa  Croce,  which  con- 
tains the  monuments  of  Michael  Angelo,  Dante,  Alfieri, 
Machiavelli,  and  the  "  Starry  Galileo" — each  monument  a 
fine  specimen  of  sculpture,  as  well  as  a  memorial  of  great 
men.  We  had  still  an  hour  to  spare,  and  so  went  to  the 
Uffiji,  one  of  the  principal  galleries.  The  most  interesting 
room  is  that  called  the  Hall  of  Niobe,  from  a  statue  of  Ni- 
obe  standing  in  attitude  of  shelter  and  protection  over  her 
daughter.  The  room  is  large,  and  filled  with  other  statues, 
all  expressive  of  grief,  but  each  in  a  different  manner,  and 
in  the  figure  of  a  dead  child,  there  is  something  so  awfully 
fascinating,  that  one  can  scarce  withdraw  themselves  from 
it.     One   room    here  is  filled  with  gems,  beautifiil   things 


260  THE    BOBOLI    GARDENS. 

wrought  with  great  skill,  of  gold  and  precious  stones.  One 
of  the  curiosities  is  a  large  circular  table,  its  top  a  mosaic  of 
■^  rare  and  precious  stones,  which  occupied  four  men  constant- 
ly twenty-two  years  in  its  formation.  In  the  evening,  Mr. 
C.  and  a  friend  went  to  a  splendid  ball  given  by  the  citizens 
of  Florence,  and  patronized  by  the  nobility.  It  was  given 
in  the  Borghese  palace,  which  has  been  purchased  for  the 
purpose.  There  had  been  six  thousand  tickets  given  out, 
and  forty  rooms  were  to  be  open  for  the  reception  and  en- 
tertainment of  the  guests.  There  were  card  rooms,  billiard 
rooms,  and  a  "  Salle  a  manger,"  where  a  table  was  furnish- 
ed throughout  the  evening,  three  dancing  rooms,  with  each 
a  band,  and  everything  splendidly  magnificent.  The  Court 
arrived  at  eleven,  and  retired  at  twelve,  but  the  company  con- 
tinued dancing  till  two.  It  was,  altogether,'  a  grand  affair, 
and  the  gentlemen  were  quite  delighted.  Sunday  afternoon, 
we  drove  to  the  Boboli  gardens,  the  grounds  of  the  Pitti  pal- 
ace. They  are  very  lovely,  the  most  beautiful  we  have  seen, 
Schonbrun  hardly  excepted.  The  grounds  are  very  exten- 
sive, laid  out  with  much  taste,  and  ornamented  with  a  pro- 
fusion of  statuary  and  many  fine  fountains.  Its  heights  com- 
mand views  of  one  of  the  most  lovely  campagnas  in  the 
world,  enclosed  by  the  Appenines,  whose  lofty  summits  are 
covered  with  snow,  while  its  sides  and  base  are  carpeted 
with  verdure  ;  this  was  lighted  in  some  parts  by  the  rays  of 
the  sun,  and  darkened  in  others  by  the  shadow  of  a  passing 
cloud  ;  and  over  the  whole,  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  are 
spread  some  of  the  loveliest  villas  it  is  possible  to  imagine. 

Leaving  here,  we  drove  to  the  Porto  Gallo,  the  triumph- 
al arch  of  Francis  II.,  said  to  have  been  built  after  the  style  of 
that  of  Constantine  at  Rome.  It  is  not  so  light  and  beautiful, 
though  perhaps  equally  magnificent.  We  next  visited  the 
Cacino,  a  beautiful  resort  of  the  Florentines,  where  is  a  fine 
drive  of  some  three  miles,  and  a  lovely  promenade  along  the 


THE    GRAND    DtTKE    OP   TUSCANY.  261 

banks  of  the  Arno.  Being  Sunday,  there  were  very  many 
people  of  all  classes  ;  the  Grand  Duke  and  family  had  left 
their  carriage,  and  were  walking  up  and  down,  mingling 
not  only  with  the  nobility,  but  with  the  humblest  of  his  sub- 
jects. He  seems  very  affable  and  courteous,  like  a  father 
among  his  people.  He  walks  daily  through  the  streets,  un- 
attended, save  by  his  little  son,  a  boy  of  a,bout  twelve  ;  and 
the  spontaneous  tribute  of  respect  that  he  meets  with,  seems 
the  voluntary  offspring  of  affection. 

On  our  return  to  the  hotel,  we  met  a  party  in  masks, 
dressed  as  Tyrolean  peasants,  with  musical  instruments, 
bent  on  merry-making,  and  announcing  to  us  that  the  Car- 
nival had  commenced.  We  devoted  one  day,  as  is  our  cus- 
tom, to  the  churches.  The  first  we  entered,  was  that  of 
San  Lorenzo,  the  burial  place  of  the  Royal  Family.  In  it 
has  been  lately  erected  a  chapel,  called  the  Chapel  of  the 
Medici,  not  yet  finished.  It  is  building  at  the  expense  of 
the  present  Duke  Leopold  II.,  and  is  very  rich.  The  dome 
is  painted  in  beautiful  fresco,  by  an  artist  still  living.  The 
whole  of  its  sides  are  encrusted  with  precious  marbles,  with 
niches  all  around  for  statues  and  monuments,  and  between 
them  are  the  arms  of  the  different  cities  of  Tuscany,  in  mo- 
saic of  Pietra  Dura.  The  pavement  is  not  yet  begun  ;  but 
is  also  to  be  a  mosaic  of  precious  marbles.  There  is  an- 
other chapel,  where  are  unfinished  statues  by  Michael  An- 
gelo  ;  two  figures  representing  Day  and  Night,  and  two  oth- 
others  Morning  and  Evening.  One  of  the  monuments  is 
surmounted  by  a  statue  of  Lorenzo,  Duke  of  Arbino,  father 
of  Catharine  de  Medici.  He  is  seated,  and  with  such  an 
expression  of  thoughtfulness  and  study,  both  in  the  face  and 
attitude,  as  to  have  acquired  for  it  the  name  of  "  The  Thought 
of  Michael  Angelo."  It  is  certainly  one  of  the  rnost  expres- 
sive statues  I  have  seen.  In  the  church  is  a  monument 
and  inscription  to  Cosmo  di  Medici,  called  the  Father  of  his 


262  A   FOUNDLING    HOSPITAL* 

Country.  Attached  to  this  Church,  is  the  Laurentian  Li- 
brary, containing  many  ancient  and  curious  manuscripts. 
We  were  shown  a  Virgil  of  the  fourth  century,  the  Pan- 
dects of  Justinian  of  the  seventh,  the  Gospels  in  Syriac,  a 
Homer,  a  Cicero,  a  Petrarch,  with  colored  portraits  of  him- 
self, and  Laura  ;  a  beautiful  missal,  with  exquisite  minia- 
tures and  illuminations — all  curious  and  interesting.  The 
manuscripts  are  bound  in  heavy  bindings,  and  fastened  to 
reading  desks  by  long  iron  chains — prisoners  all. 

From  this,  we  went  to  the  church  of  the  Annunciata, 
which  is  loaded  with  ornaments  of  every  description  ;  paint- 
ings and  groups  of  statuary,  precious  marbles  and  gilded 
stucco.  Its  cloisters  contain  some  beautiful  frescos,  by  An- 
drea del  Sarto,  and  a  small  chapel  contains  his  body,  and 
that  of  Benvenuto  Cellini.  Attached  to  this  church  is  a 
foundling  hospital.  We  saw  the  grated  windows  and  cush- 
ion where  the  infants  are  left  at  night ;  a  bell  cord  near  it 
serves  to  summon  some  of  the  inmates,  always  in  readiness, 
to  their  little  charge.  Our  next  visit  w^as  to  the  grand 
duke's  private  manufactory  of  pietra  dura.  We  were  shown 
the  designs,  the  stones  in  a  rough  state,  the  unfinished  parts, 
and  some  beautiful  finished  specimens.  A  number  of  very 
tine  ones  intended  for  the  altar  in  the  new  chapel  of  the 
Medici,  were  shown  us.  There  was  a  large  collection  of 
precious  stones,  very  beautiful  ;  and  the  utmost  pains  is 
taken,  and  politeness  shown  by  the  attendants  to  all  visitors, 
without  any  remuneration  being  permitted  or  expected. 
Such  is  the  liberality  of  the  grand  duke,  not  only  in  this, 
but  all  other  objects  of  interest  to  a  stranger.  On  our  re- 
turn home,  we  crossed  the  Arno  by  a  bridge  called  the  Jew- 
eller's bridge,  from  its  being  lined  on  each  side  by  shops  oc- 
cupied by  jewellers  and  goldsmiths,  whose  windows  make 
an  attractive  and  tempting  display. 

The  next  morning  we  found  it  was  raining  ;  but  we  de- 


CAADLEMAS,  263 


termined,  like  good  and  energetic  travellers,  to  be  nothing 
daunted  by  the  falling  water ;  so  bent  our  steps  towards  the 
Piazza  Ducal,  and  entered  the  loggia  of  the  palace  Vecchia, 
the  residence  of  the  Medicis  ;  and  during  the  republic,  the 
rostrum  of  Florence,  where  public  assemblies  were  held, 
and  public  business  and  ceremonies  took  place.  We  en- 
tered its  vestibule,  a  quadrangle,  with  a  large  basin  of  por- 
phyry, forming  a  fountain  in  the  centre  ;  around  were  beau- 
tiful arches — the  ceilings  are  ornamented  with  arabesque 
frescos,  after  the  school  of  Raphael,  and  supported  by  large 
columns,  covered  with  beautiful  stucco  ornaments,  on  what 
was  formerly  a  gold  ground ;  it  must  have  been  once  rich 
and  beautiful,  though  now  defaced  by  time  and  dampness. 
In  front  of  the  entrance  on  either  side,  are  two  coUossal  sta- 
tues, one  a  David,  by  Michael  Angelo  ;  the  other  Hercules, 
by  Bandinelli ;  both  very  celebrated.  At  one  corner  of  the 
palace  is  a  magnificent  fountain,  with  a  group  of  beautiful 
statuary,  and  a  tall  campanile  opposite,  towers  above  all, 
and  stands  like  a  sentinel  to  guard  the  place.  The  loggia 
of  the  guard-house,  which  also  fronts  on  the  square,  is  filled 
with  beautiful  groups  of  statuary ;  and  though  we  pass  here 
frequently,  it  is  difficult  ever  to  traverse  this  square  without 
pausing  before  some  one  of  the  works  of  art  which  embel- 
lish it  on  every  side. 

This  was  a  fete  day,  candlemas,  or  the  purification  of  the 
virgin.  In  all  the  churches,  they  bless  the  candles  that  are 
to  be  used  during  the  ensuing  year  ;  that  is,  as  many  as  they 
can  procure ;  each  one  giving  to  the  church  in  size  and 
number,  according  to  their  means.  The  streets  are  filled 
with  people  wending  their  way  to  the  church,  each  with  a 
bundle  of  candles  in  his  hand  ;  and  I  observed  also  a  man 
dressed  in  white  surplice,  knocking  at  the  doors  of  differ- 
ent houses.  In  one  hand  he  held  a  small  brass  bowl,  to 
take  contributions  of  money  ;  in  the  other,  he  had  a  quantity 


S64  BALL   AT   THE    PITTI   PALACE. 

of  candles,  which  he  had  already  collected.  We  entered 
one  church  that  we  happened  to  be  passing,  it  was  quite 
curious  to  see  the  multitude  of  candles  on  and  around  the 
different  altars.  Some  were  lighted,  but  most  of  them  were 
held  in  reserve. 

And  now  I  will  close  my  letter,  by  giving  you  a  descrip- 
tion of  a  ball,  v/hich  we  have  attended  during  our  stay  ;  the 
only  one  I  cared  about,  though  the  gentlemen  of  our  party 
have  attended  two  others.  This  was  one  given  by  the 
grand  duke  in  the  Pitti  palace,  which,  besides  affording  a 
residence  to  the  Ducal  household,  contains  one  of  those  ex- 
quisite collections  of  two  paintings,  for  which  Florence  is 
so  celebrated.  The  palace  is  located  on  high  ground,  and 
the  road  through  the  grounds  leading  to  it,  was  brilliantly 
illuminated.  Men  in  handsome  liveries  stood  waiting  to  re- 
ceive  us,  as  we  alighted.  The  floors  of  the  vestibule,  the 
halls  and  galleries  were  all  carpeted,  and  every  part  illumi- 
nated. In  the  guard-room,  were  soldiers  and  servants  in 
livery,  to  take  our  cloaks,  &;c.  In  the  ante -room  were 
the  consuls  and  ambassadors  of  different  countries,  to 
introduce  to  the  grand  chamberlain  their  several  coun- 
trymen. The  representatives  of  the  different  countries 
waited  upon  the  ladies  into  the  ball  room,  seating  them  in  a 
line,  to  await  the  grand- duke's  entrance  for  their  presenta- 
tion, the  gentlemen  of  their  party  standing  near  them.  There 
was  a  great  number  to  be  presented,  and  the  room  was  soon 
filled  with  ladies,  glittering  in  jewels  and  satins,  and  gentle- 
men brilliant  with  their  many  and  different  stars  and  orders. 
The  ball-room  was  very  splendid.  The  walls  were  hung 
with  blue  damask,  the  ceilings  and  cornice  adorned  with 
beautiful  stucco  figures,  representing  dancing  and  games ; 
the  furniture  was  white  and  gold,  with  cushions  of  rich  blue 
damask,  and  the  floor  covered  with  green  baize.  On  all 
sides  of  the  room  were  immense  mirrors  reflecting  and  mul- 


THE    BALL-ROOM.  265 


tiplying  all  within,  and  on  each  side  of  every  mirror,  a  can- 
delabra ;  a  golden  tree,  with  green  branches  tapering  like 
a  cypress  tree,  each  bearing  a  hundred  wax  lights.  Other 
lights  were  placed  in  magnificent  girandoles  and  chande- 
liers, making  in  all  six  hundred  and  twenty  lights.  A  fine 
orchestra  was  stationed  aloft,  in  the  recesses  of  three  arches 
on  one  side  of  the  room  ;  and  rich  curtains  of  blue  and 
white,  draped  the  windows  opposite.  On  one  side  of  the 
ball-room  was  the  guard-room,  and  on  the  other  was  the  salle- 
a-manger,  where  was  a  table  spread  with  plates  and  dishes 
of  massive  silver.  Ranged  on  the  shelves  on  one  side  were 
the  edibles  of  every  description,  and  on  the  other  liqueurs  and 
wines  of  every  kind  and  clime  ;  with  glasses  of  every  form 
and  color  interspersed.  In  the  centre  of  these  delicious 
viands,  surrounded  by  flowers,  which  filled  the  room  with 
fragrance,  was  a  beautiful  marble  statue  of  a  dancing  girl, 
who  seemed  to  have  just  bounded  from  some  other  sphere, 
and  lighted  in  the  midst.  Beyond  this  room  was  one 
smaller  and  more  priv'ate,  where  was  a  table  spread  with 
cakes  and  tea,  glittering  with  gold  and  silver ;  and  in  both 
were  attendants  in  rich  liveries,  to  do  the  honors.  After 
waiting  half  an  hour,  the  grand  duke  ajid  royal  family  en- 
tered, and  all  rose  to  receive  them.  They  each  in  turn 
conversed  with  gentlemen  stationed  near  each  other ;  all  of 
whom  wore  badges  of  some  order,  until  they  came  near 
those  who  were  to  be  presented  ;  then  the  grand  chamber- 
lain, profusely  decorated  with  different  stars  and  badges, 
drew  near  to  name  each  one,  and  each  one  was  noticed, 
and  had  some  conversation  addressed  to  them,  by  the  differ- 
ent members  of  the  family,  in  turn.  This  was  somewhat 
stiff  and  formal,  and  occupying  considerable  time,  proved  not 
a  little  fatiguing  to  those  unused  to  court  ceremonies.  The 
grand  duke  himself  wore  three  superb  stars  on  the  breast  of 
his  coat  ;  but  otherwise  was  habited  in  a  plain  and  simple 

12 


266  THE    GRAND    DUCHESS. 

dress.  He  is  very  affable  and  unassuming  in  manner,  mov- 
ing about  among  all,  seeming  to  delight  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  those  around,  visiting  the  different  rooms,  and  ap- 
pearing  quite  gratified  with  the  provision  made  for  the  en- 
tertainment of  his  numerous  guests.  The  grand  duchess  is 
a  fine  looking  woman,  and  was  very  richly  dressed  with  a 
tiara,  necklace,  and  stomacher  of  superb  ^diamonds.  The 
arch-duchess,  who  is  engaged  to  the  young  prince  of  Bava- 
ria, is  very  pretty  ;  and  the  two  betrothed  seemed  very  fond 
of  each  other,  dancing  together  all  the  evening.  The  young 
prince  wore  one  brilliant  star ;  and  though  looking  very 
good  natured  and  happy,  is  not  at  all  handsome. 

The  ladies  of  the  court,  the  dames  d'honneur,  were 
dressed  very  richly,  each  with  their  badge  of  honor  fastened 
near  the  left  shoulder.  And  no  where  have  I  seen  such  a 
display  of  dress,  diamonds,  and  other  splendid  ornaments  ; 
and  there  was,  too,  quite  a  display  of  beauty.  The  music 
was  fine ;  the  ices  and  other  refreshments  excellent  and  am- 
ple ;  and  the  ducal  family  and  their  honored  guests,  seemed 
all  to  enjoy  themselves  exceedingly.  We  left  about  two  ; 
and  then,  though  many  had  previously  departed,  they  seemed 
at  the  height  of  enjoyment.  The  card-rooms  were  still 
filled  with  players,  and  the  drawing-rooms  occupied  with 
those  fatigued  with  dancing,  or  who  did  not  dance  at  all. 

And  now  we  take  leave  of  Florence — the  lovely  and  the 
beautiful — one  of  the  few  places  that  will  cause  one  to  cast 
many  a  longing,  lingering  look  behind  ;  and  leaving  such  an 
impress  upon  the  memory,  as  to  induce  us  to  wish  to  be 
again  oir  the  banks  of  its  beautiful  Arno.  We  remember 
it  with  more  affection ;  but  our  thoughts  do  not  revert  to  it, 
with  that  interest  that  is  ever  called  forth  by  the  "  pyramid 
of  empires,"  Rome  ! 

"  There  is  given 
Unto  the  things  of  earth,  which  time  hath  bent. 


FAREWELL.  267 


A  spirit's  feeling,  and  where  he  h?  .  leant 

His  hand,  but  broke  his  scythe,  there  is  a  power 

And  magfc  in  the  ruined  battlement, 

For  which  the  palace  of  the  present  hour, 

Must  yield  its  pomp,  and  wait  till  ages  are  its  dower.' 


268  PISA. 


LETTER  XXIX. 

TUSCANY THE    PEASANTRY PISA THE    CATHEDRAL 

C;*MPO  SANTA LEGHORN THE  CARNIVAL WOMEN  SPIN 

NING CARRARA, 

February,  1844. 

At  Pisa,  I  commence  this  letter,  fearing,  unless  I  begin 
thus  early,  I  shall  not  find  time  to  say  all  I  wish,  as  our 
movements  will  be  somewhat  rapid  between  this  and  the 
20th,  when  we  intend  to  sail  from  Toulon  for  Algiers ;  re- 
turning thence,  we  hope  to  reach  the  poi  t  of  Marseilles,  and 
there  take  steamer,  and  sail  along  the  coast  of  Spain,  visit- 
ing such  cities  as  the  steamer  touches  at,  without  ventur- 
ing in  the  present  disturbed  state  of  the  country  much  into 
the  interior. 

With  the  "  Etrurian  Athens,"  we  have  been  quite  de- 
lighted, literally  charmed  and  are  fully  prepared  to  coincide 
with  the  assertion,  that  as  Italy  is  the  garden  of  Europe,  so 
Tuscany  is  the  garden  of  Italy,  and  Florence  the  fairest  lily 
of  the  garden.  The  city  seems  placed  in  the  bottom  of  a 
huge  bowl,  the  green  and  sloping  hills  that  environ  it,  are 
the  sides,  and  the  points,  peaks  and  cones  of  the  Appenines 
enclosing  the  whole,  form  a  beautiful  turretted  edge.  These 
verdant  hills  are  rolling  and  undulating,  and  besides  being 
covered  with  groves  of  olive,  fig  trees  and  vineyards,  are 
studded  all  over  with  the  beautiful  villas  of  the  nobility,  and 
the  lovely  village  of  Tuscany.  These  snow-capped  moun- 
tains, rearing  their  heads  upwards  into  the  clear  blue  sky, 
bounding  as  they  do,  the  horizon  on  every  side,  the  lovely 
Arno  winding  itself  in  graceful  bends  through  the  centre  of 
the  city,  with  its  many  beautiful,  light-arched  bridges  cross- 


LEGHORN    BONNETS.  269 

ing  it  at  frequent  intervals,  form  altogether,  when  spread 
before  you  from  the  heights  of  the  "  Bellas  Guardas,"  as 
lovely  a  picture  as  the  eye  could  wish  to  dwell  on.  Leav- 
ing Florence,  you  pass  through  these  pretty  villages,  and 
view  more  closely  the  handsome  villas ;  and  go  which  way 
you  will,  all  Tuscany  seems  one  beautiful  garden.  There, 
as  in  all  the  old  and  large  cities  of  the  continent,  but  espe- 
cially of  Italy,  the  roads  leading  to  the  neighboring  villages 
are  lined  with  houses,  so  that  you  scarce  perceive  the  ter- 
mination of  one,  or  beginning  of  the  other.  There  is  another 
striking  peculiarity,  both  in  the  palaces  of  the  rich,  and  the 
dwellings  of  the  poor, —  all  the  windows  of  the  lower  story 
are  guarded  by  heavy  iron  cross  bars,  like  those  of  a  prison  ; 
and  as  if  this  were  not  sufficient  to  keep  out  the  most  for- 
midable house-breakers,  many  of  them  have  besides  a  close 
net-work  of  wire.  This,  I  have  no  doubt,  was  adopted  as 
a  defence  in  feudal  times  ;  but  is  still  retained  from,  as  we 
were  told,  the  danger  of  thieves  and  burglars.  The  dwell- 
ings of  the  poor  are  large,  affording  accommodations  to 
many  families ;  but  they  have  nothing  attractive  in  their 
exterior  appearance,  like  the  English  cottages  and  farm- 
houses, or  our  own  small,  but  comfortable  houses  of  the 
poor,  or  those  in  moderate  circumstances*  The  view  of 
their  interior,  which  you  obtain  in  passing,  is  any  thing  but 
inviting,  from  the  disorder  and  filth  that  seems  universal, 
and  the  palaces  themselves  are  without,  more  extensive  and 
grand  than  beautiful ;  and  though  within,  they  are  lofty  and 
spacious,  and  filled  with  marks  of  luxury,  are  mostly  com- 
fortless and  dreary.  Still,  what  meets  the  eye  of  the  pass- 
ing traveller,  seems  very  beautiful.  In  passing  through  the 
villages  between  Florence  and  Pisa,  we  saw  groups  of  the 
peasant  girls  and  women  sitting  round  their  doors,  their 
fingers  busy  in  plaiting  the  straw  for  the  bonnets,  for  which 
Florence  and  Leghorn  are  so  famous.     Possessing  a  pecu- 


270  WHEAT    FIELDS. 


liar  fancy  for  bright  colors,  their  costume  is  beautifully  pic- 
;turesque,  when  viewed  at  a  little  >  distance,  though  it  may 
prove  coarse  and  somewhat  dirty,  on  closer  examination. 
The  dress  is  usually  blue  or  green,  stockings  of  blue,  apron 
of  bright  red,  with  a  kerchief  of  some  gay  color,  meeting 
the  skirt  before  and  behind.  About  their  houses,  they  gen- 
erally wear  a  red  shawl  over  the  head,  tied  under  the  chin, 
but  in  the  streets  a  broad  brimmed  leghorn,  with  bright  gay 
streamers.  Yellow  seems  the  favorite  color,  and  with  their 
bright  black  eyes  beaming  beneath,  they  look  like  so  many 
gipsies.  So  much  for  the  people.  The  country  is  charming. 
You  ride  hundreds  of  miles  through  groves  of  olives,  which 
even  at  this  season,  retain  their  beautiful  and  luxurious 
foliage,  contrasting  strangely  with  their  gnarled,  knotty  and 
time  worn  trunks.  In  contrast  to  these,  are  the  fig  trees. 
These  grow  to  the  size  of  our  peach  trees  ;  their  trunks 
smooth  and  well  shaped  ;  though  with  branches  the  most 
craggy,  knotty  and  misshapen  that  it  is  possible  to  imagine. 
They  really  seem  "the  hunch-back"  among  trees,  (though 
made  so,  I  believe,  from  the  manner  of  pruning  and  trim- 
ming,) and  being  at  this  season  leafless  and  bare,  expose 
all  their  deformity.  These  latter  are  planted  at  regular 
intervals,  affording  a  beautiful  support  to  the  grape  vines 
planted  beside  them,  fit  companions,  with  their  crabbed, 
knotted  trunks  and  twigs,  and  they  twine  and  wind  them- 
selves about  every  branch  of  the  fig,  then  leap  from  tree  to 
tree,  forming  a  canopy  that  art  can  in  no  wise  surpass. 
They  grow  here,  too,  Indian  corn,  and  immense  fields  of 
wheat.  The  last  is  sown  in  beds,  and  the  fields  look  beau- 
tifully. The  beds  are  formed  by  ditches  for  irrigating  the 
land,  and  on  either  side  of  the  ditches  enclosing  the  field  are 
planted  the  vine  and  fig  tree.  Can  you  imajrine  a  more 
beautiful  fence  or  hedge  wherewith  to  enclose  these  lovely 
fields  of  green?     The  straw,  too,  of  this  wheat  it  is,  that 


THE    LEANING    TOWER.  271 

makes  the  beautiful  bonnet.  Is  not  this  another  Canaan, 
or  land  of  corn,  wine  and  oil  ?  Then  to  see  the  lovely  vil- 
las clothing  every  knoll  and  declivity,  and  along  the  verdant 
hill  sides  !  Besides  these,  the  whole  country  is  studded  with 
turretted  towers  and  ruined  castles,  remains  of  the  feudal 
age,  and  they  have  ever  a  striking  peculiarity  or  appear- 
ance that  makes  them  an  interesting,  as  well  as  beautiful 
object  in  landscape. 

Every  village  church,  too,  besides  its  tower,  has  generally 
its  tall  campanile,  a  huge  square  tower,  rearing  itself  to 
equal,  and  sometimes  greater  height  than  the  tower  of  the 
church.  This  contains  in  its  summit,  the  bells  that  call  the 
christian  faithful  to  prayer  ;  and  standing  alone  and  apart, 
like  the  minarets  of  an  eastern  mosque,  their  apparent 
height  is  greater  than  their  real.  Then,  too,  the  mountains 
with  their  summits  enveloped  in  snow,  and  their  base  in  a 
beautiful  blue  haze,  give  additional  beauty  to  the  whole.  To 
me,  all  was  charming  ;  and  I  can  but  regret,  that  my  des- 
cription falls  so  far  short  of  the  reality,  as  to  afford  you  an 
inadequate  idea  of  its  exceeding  loveliness,  unless  you  put 
forth  all  the  powers  of  your  imagination,  to  fill  up  the  de- 
ficiencies. Winding  round  and  round,  as  we  made  some 
steep  ascent,  the  same  beautiful  view  would  meet  us  at  many 
a  turn,  till  in  much  too  short  a  time,  we  entered  through 
the  port  of  the  ancient  walls  of  Pisa,  once  containing  one 
hundred  and  twenty  thousand  inhabitants,  though  now  but 
twenty  thousand. 

The  square  encompassing  the  Duomo,  the  Baptistry,  its 
celebrated  leaning  tower,  and  its  Campo  Santa,  are  very 
beautiful,  and  certainly  evidence  the  by-gone  power  and 
greatness  of  Pisa.  The  Duomo — tower  and  Baptistry  are 
built  mostly  of  the  s^poils  taken  from  Grecian  and  Egyptian 
cities,  and  the  temples  of  Rome  during  the  Republic.  In 
the  interior    of  the  Duomo,    I  counted  fifty  eight  marble 


272  THE    DUOMO. 


columns,  suppoiiing  the  arches  of  the  interior  cross.  There 
were  others  in  different  parts  of  the  church,  many  inserted 
in  the  sides.  These  columns  show  ■  plainly,  that  many  a 
beautiful  temple  has  been  robbed  to  adorn  this.  They  are 
all  of  a  different  length  and  diameter.  Their  capitals  afford 
specimens  of  every  order,  and  the  marbles  are  of  many  dif- 
ferent kinds,  besides  the  pediments  being  of  different  height, 
according  to  the  shortness  or  length  of  the  pillar.  The  ceil- 
ings are  of  massive  gold  stucco  on  the  ground.  Many  of  the 
altars  were  brilliantly  illuminated,  when  we  were  there,  and 
strains  of  rich  music  came  from  behind  a  screen  back  of  the 
high  altar,  where  priests  and  boys  seemed  to  be  practising 
the  Catholic  service.  The  light  is  admitted  through  a  hun- 
dred windows  of  richly  stained  glass,  and  the  whole  building 
within  and  without,  as  well  as  the  Baptistry  and  tower,  are 
encrusted  with  black  and  white  marbles  in  mosaic.  The 
Duomo,  both  in  its  interior  and  exterior,  shows  more  per- 
fectly the  form  of  the  Latin  Cross  than  any  church  I  have 
seen, — standing  inside,  in  the  centre  of  the  cross,  looking 
each  way,  the  effect  is  very  fine.  The  most  famous  sculp- 
tors and  painters  have  aided  in  its  adornment,  and  the  Pisans 
may  well  be  proud  of  it.  The  Baptistry  stands  facing  the 
Duomo,  at  a  short  distance,  its  front,  as  well  as  that  of  the 
Dnomo,  ornamented  with  columns  of  white  marble  brought 
from  Egypt.  These  are  literally  covered  with  a  fine  and 
beautiful  tracery  work  of  vines  and  foliage.  On  the  front  of 
the  Duomo,  tier  above  tier  of  beautiful  columns,  supporting 
light  arches,  rise  to  the  roof,  and  these  are  antique,  precious 
marbles,  those  of  porphyry  being  easily  distinguished.  The 
Baptistry  seems  a  huge  dome  rising  from  the  ground.  It 
contains  a  font  of  different  colored  marbles,  the  centre 
part  large  enough  for  total  immersion,  with  four  lesser  fonts 
at  the  sides.  It  has  also  an  exquisitely  carved  pulpit  of 
white  marble,  so  beautiful,  that  an  officer  and  guard  are 


THE    CAMPO    SANTA.  273 


sent  to  protect  it,  on  days  of  ceremony,  when  the  church  is 
very  crowded.  On  the  left  of  the  Duomo,  rises  its  tall  cam- 
panile, the  leaning  tower  of  Pisa;  and  it  really  seemed  to 
me  to  lean  more  than  it  is  represented  in  pictures.  Unlike 
the  generality  of  campaniles,  this  is  round  ;  its  interior 
encrusted  with  black  and  white  marble,  is  surrounded,  tier 
above  tier  to  the  very  top,  with  small  light  arches,  supported 
by  short  slender  columns,  giving  to  the  whole  an  appear- 
ance so  light  and  airy,  that  it  seems  as  if  one's  individual 
support  v/as  sufficient  to  counteract  its  liability  to  fall.  On 
the  right  of  the  Duomo  is  the  Campo  Santa.  This  is  a 
burial  place  formed  in  the  thirteenth  century,  and  conse- 
crated to  the  great  men  of  the  Pisan  Republic.  It  is  an 
oblong  piece  of  ground  enclosed  by  a  covered  walk,  or  open 
corridor,  one  side  of  which  is,  or  rather  was,  (for  now  they 
are  almost  obliterated,)  ornamented  with  beautiful  frescoes 
by  the  most  celebrated  painters  of  the  fourteenth  and  fif- 
teenth centuries.  The  sides  of  the  corridor  fronting  on  the 
enclosure,  are  open,  and  supported  by  light  gothic  arches 
with  beautiful  slender  columns  and  tracery  work  of  stone 
that  reminded  me  of  Melrose  Abbey.  The  earth  of  this 
enclosure  was  brought  from  the  holy  places  of  Jerusalem, 
in  fifty  vessels  of  the  republic,  and  possessed  the  remark- 
able property  of  destroying  the  bodies  inhumed,  in  twelve 
hours.  It  has,  however,  lost  this  quality  in  a  measure,  re- 
quiring now  twenty.four  hours.  These  are  all  that  Pisa 
contains,  that  is  much  worth  a  traveller's  notice  ;  but  we 
passed  the  afternoon  in  delightful  contemplation  of  these 
wonderful  as  well  as  beautiful  objects. 

February  6. 

We  went  j'^esterday  afternoon  to  Leghorn,  to  see  the  place  ; 

but  chiefly  to  facilitate   the  transportation  to  New  York,    of 

some  things  purchased  at  Florence.     There  was  not  much 

to  see.     It  is  a  busy,  bustling,  noisy,  dirty,  commercial  sea- 

12* 


274  A    MUSICAL    PEOPLE. 


port,  with  its  fine  harb  or  and  inland  canal.  I  was  pleased 
with  the  appearance  of  the  women  of  Leghorn,  enveloped 
in  their  white  lace  veils,  which  seem  the  general  costume 
of  the  middle  and  lower  classes.  Being  Carnival,  too,  we 
saw  some  amusing  groups  in  the  streets.  Men  and  women 
dress  themselves  in  all  kinds  of  fantastic  habiliments,  and 
with  masques  over  their  faces,  go  about  playing  tricks 
upon  their  acquaintances.  And « they  may  do  or  say  what 
they  please  in  this  disguise  ;  no  one  has  a  right  to  take 
offence.  Even  children  play  their  part.  We  saw  some  not 
more  than  ^ix  years  old,  dressed  like  little  clowns  or  harle- 
quins— high  steeple-crowned  paper  hats  as  tall  as  them- 
selves, ornamented  with  gay  ribbands  and  tinsel,  with  parti- 
colored clothes,  gave  them  a  ludicrous  appearance. 

We  arrived  at  Leghorn  about  four  in  the  afternoon,  and 
had  time  to  see  the  most  interesting  portions  of  the  city  ; 
and  it  was  well  we  did ;  for  notwithstanding  the  lady  moon 
looked  so  saucily  in  my  face,  that  I  was  obliged  to  rise  in 
the  night,  and  darken  the  windows,  when  we  awoke  in  the 
morning,  it  was  raining,  and  continued  pouring  in  torrents, 
all  day  till  our  return  to  Pisa. 

I  think  the  Pisans  a  remarkably  musical  people  ;  for  we 
remarked,  during  our  ramble  through  the  city,  wherever 
there  were  a  number  working,  they  were  singing,  At  one 
place,  we  stopped  before  the  door  of  a  factory,  f  ttracted  by 
the  music  of  the  workmen  within,  and  remained  listening, 
till  they  finished  their  song.  And  now  some  one  is  passing, 
trolling  one  of  those  delightful  Swiss-like  airs,  full  of  sudden, 
changing  intonations.  Indeed,  all  seem  to  sing,  as  they 
walk  in  numbers  or  alone. 

We  left  Pisa  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morning,  and  cast  a 
long,  lingering,  and  delightful  gaze  upon  its  Duomo,  Baptis- 
try and  tower,  as  we  passed  through  the  massive  gateway 
of  its  old  walls,  probably  for  ever.  Our  road  to-day  has  been 


OLIVE-TREES.  275 


through  portions  of  Tuscany,  Lucca,  Modena,  and  Pied- 
mont,  four  different  governments,  and  of  course,  as  man; 
custom-houses,  which  are  usually  the  bug-bears  of  travellers 
We  have  hitherto  escaped  marvellously  ;  though  to-day  we 
had  some  little  annoyance  on  account  of  some  Constanti- 
nople tobacco,  for  which  Mr.  C.  was  obliged  to  pay  three 
times  its  cost,  rather  than  give  it  up,  after  bringing  it  thus 
far.  Although  it  has  been  all  day  cloudy  and  some  times 
rainy,  I  have  enjoyed  the  ride  exceedingly.  We  had  a  car- 
riage called  Jiere  a  bagatello,  similar  to  our  cabs,  except  that 
the  sides  and  fronts  are  all  of  glass,  calculated  for  two  only, 
and  drawn  by  one  horse.  We  left  Pisa  at  half-past  seven, 
and  arrived  at  Sarzanna,  where  we  are  now,  at  half-past 
four — nearly  fifty  miles — only  changing  horses  once. 

We  passed  through  the  same  beautiful  paradise  of  a  coun- 
try as  I  described  between  Florence  and  Pisa  ;  but  this 
bordering  on  the  Mediterranean  on  the  south,  and  sheltered 
by  the  range  of  the  Appenines  on  the  north.  The  grass 
was  more  green,  and  all  things  more  verdant.  This  range 
was  not  sufficiently  high  to  be  covered  with  snow,  like  those 
near  Florence  ;  but  were  cultivated  to  the  very  tops.  Groves 
of  olive  fringed  their  summits,  and  the  beautiful  pine-tree, 
with  its  soft  lively  green  foliage,  contrasted  well  with  the 
tall,  dark  and  stately  cypress  that  made  here  and  there  a 
long  dark  line  from  the  base  to  the  summit  of  the  hills.  The 
sides  were  terraced  and  planted  with  various  things,  and  the 
roadside  was  lined  with  tall  trees,  with  the  luxuriant  vine 
trained  from  one  to  the  other  in  diamonds,  circles  and  a  va- 
riety of  other  forms.  In  the  valleys  were  pretty  villages,  each 
with  their  extensive  groves  of  orange  and  lemon  trees  laden 
with  their  golden  fruit ;  sometimes  the  trees  were  trained 
against  the  sides  of  the  houses,  looking  very  tempting  ;  but 
the  oranges  here  are  of  an  inferior  kind,  more  pleasant 
to  the  eye  than  the  taste.  Here  and  there,  too,  the  hill-tops 


276  SPINNING. 


were  surmounted  with  a  city,  a  proud  palace,  or  lonely  villa ; 
and  occasionally  a  ruined  castle  or  fortress  of  the  olden  time, 
frowned  upon  us  with  its  once  threatening  but  now  harm- 
less battlements.  Sometimes  the  olive  groves  on  either  side 
the  road  were  so  thick  as  to  make  it  dark  like  twilight ;  and 
underneath  them,  were  groups  of  women  and  children  ga- 
thering the  olives  from  the  ground  ;  for  this  seems  to  be  the 
harvest  of  the  olives.  And  here,  instead  of  plaiting  strav/, 
you  would  see  the  women  walking  along,  or  standing  to- 
gether chatting,  some  knitting,  others  spinning  (street  yarn  ?) 
not  with  the  wheel  as  with  us  or  the  Dutch,  which  would 
require  them  to  be  stationary ;  but  in  a  more  primitive 
manner,  with  the  distaff  of  flax  in  one  hand,  and  the  spindle 
in  the  other.  This  last  they  let  fall,  giving  it  a  twirl  at  the 
same  time,  and  thus  continue  drawing  out  the  flax,  and 
twisting  as  they  go  along.  It  seems  very  simple  and  easy ; 
and  even  children  of  six  years  old,  spin  in  the  same  way, 
though  of  a  coarser  kind.  We  passed  through  the  town  of 
Carrara,  and  saw  the  mountains  and  quarries  from  whence 
they  procure  the  beautiful  white  marble  for  statues.  We 
peeped  into  many  of  the  studios,  and  saw  statues  in  every 
stage  of  progress,  as  we  passed  through  the  main  street  of 
the  town. 

I  take  my  leave  of  you  now  in  the  "  city  of  palaces," 
Genoa,  of  which  I  will  give  you  some  account  in  my  next* 
For  the  present,  Adieu. 


NICE.  277 


LETTER   XXX. 

MARITIME    ALPS CORNICE,    OR  MOUNTAIN  ROAD  OF  NICE— ' 

NICE TOULON ITS    HARBOR    AND    NAVAL   DEPOT MAR- 
SEILLES  ENTRY    INTO    SPAIN. 

My  Dear  Brother  : — To-day  is  our  little  C's  birthday, 
and  we  have  been  thinking  and  talking  of  him,  of  you,  and 
of  all  at   home.     How  do  you  like  college  life  ?     Do  you 
have  many  sprees,  or  kick  up  any  rows  ?     Too  much  of  a 
student  for  that,  I  trow.     Well,  go  on,  and  prosper,  my  dear 
boy,  and  may  all  go  well  with   you,  and  as   merry  as  a 
"  Christmas  bell."     You  are  often  in  our  thoughts,  one  and 
all,  when  passing  along  through  these  lovely  scenes.     The 
eye  dwells  with  delight  upon  the  beauties  of  Nature,    but 
the  thoughts  are  sometimes  far  from  the  scenes  we  are  roll- 
ing by.     It  was  thus  during  our  ride  from  Genoa  to  Nice, 
(where  I  am  writing  at  this  present,)  a  ride  of  three  days, 
and  through  some  of  the  most  charming  scenes  the  imagi- 
nation can  conceive.     The  road  itself,   a  master-work   of 
man,  calls  forth  at  every  step,  wonder  and  admiration.     It 
was  made  by  Napoleon,  and  is  called  the  "  Cornice  of  Nice  ;" 
more  properly  I  think,  the  "  Cornice  of  the  Maritime  Alps." 
How  nobly  has  that  great  man  left  the  impress  of  his  mighty 
hand  through  every  country  that  he  made  his  own.     Not  in 
columns,  statues,  triumphal  arches,  or  trophies  of  his  mar- 
tial deeds  alone,  but  in  such  stupendous  works  of  utility  as 
will  last  till  the  countries  will  have  ceased  to  exist,  or  so 
long  as  the  mountains  themselves  endure  !     Had   he    con- 
tented himself  with  the  first,  they  would  have  been  long  ago 
destroyed  by  those  who  rose  with  the  turn  of  the  wheel  that 


278  A    SUNRISE. 


crushed  at  once  him  and  his  greatness,  though  not  his  glory. 
This  road  is  like  a  shelf  cut  in  the  mountain,  midway  be- 
tween the  summit  and  the  base  ;  and  though  carried  thus 
along  the  brow  of  the  Alps,  it  is  as  smooth  as  a  garden  walk. 
You  have  all  the  way,  the  sea  on  one  hand,  and  the  moun- 
tain on  the  other,  for  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles,  winding  round  the  many  bays,  inlets  and  promonto- 
ries of  the  Mediterranean's  crooked  shores.  Every  shelter- 
ed nook  or  rocky  cliff  has  its  town,  or  village,  tower  or  for- 
tress. At  one  time,  you  are  on  the  brink  of  an  awful  pre- 
cipice, so  steep  that  you  may  drop  a  biscuit  into  the  waves 
below ;  then  you  descend,  and  drive  awhile  along  the 
smooth,  sandy  beach,  where  the  waves  with  their  snowy 
crests  are  rolling  towards  you,  bringing  from  old  ocean's  bed 
their  spoil  of  sand  and  pebbles,  and  casting  them  at  your 
feet— 

"  And  the  blue-lipped  wave  steals  up  the  beach, 
Its  red,  polluted  sand  to  bleach." 

And  the  sea  is  such  a  lovely  blue,  and  the  glorious  sunrise, 
too,  seen  from  these  rocky  heights  !  We  gain  this  at  least 
from  the  early  hours  required  by  ourvetturino.  One  morn- 
ing, in  particular,  a  long  line  of  clouds  rested  upon  the  wa- 
ter, along  the  horizon.  Out  of  these  issued  the  glorious  orb, 
tinging  all  with  a  golden  hue,  and  casting  a  blaze  of  living 
light  across  the  sea.  He^i-e  and  there  arose  a  mass  of  clouds, 
and  bending  forward  toward  the  sun,  seemed  to  be  doing 
homage  to  the  king  of  day,  and  he,  seemingly  pleased  with 
their  respectful  adoration,  smiled  like  a  benignant  sovereign 
upon  all. 

The  first  day,  we  passed  through  the  extensive  tunnels, 
cut  through  rock  that  seemjed  of  the  hardest  granite.  In 
some  places,  a  huge  slice  had  been  taken  out  of  the  moun- 
tain, allowing  the  road  to  pass,  leaving  a  steep,  smooth  wall 
ol  rock  on  either  side,  displaying  stratum  after  stratum,  each 


THE    ITALIAN    PEASANTRY.  279 

differing  from  the  other,  as  far  as  the  vision  could  extend 
upward,  and  these  strata  seemed  like  the  leaves  of  a  book, 
where  you  may  turn  over  leaf  after  leaf,  and  find  new  won- 
ders on  every  page.  Sometimes  the  mountain  extended  out 
into  the  sea,  and  on  the  high  promontory  might  be  seen  a 
high  tower,  a  station  for  a  watch,  a  sort  of  advance  guard 
to  an  immense  foriress,  somewhat  in  the  rear,  half  buried  in 
a  forest  of  pine  trees,  of  a  kind  peculiar  to  these  countries, 
and  whose  soft,  lovely  green,  contrasts  beautifully  with  the 
sombre  hue  of  the  stately  and  mournful  cypress.  Some- 
times the  immense  castles  were  only  extensive  ruins  of  what 
had  once  been  formidable  fortifications.  Every  valley  and 
hill-side  was  covered  with  groves  of  the  fruitful  olive,  whose 
branches  were  even  now  being  shorn  of  their  pretty  fruit. 
Groups  of  women  and  children  beneath  them,  in  their  bright 
gay  costume,  formed  a  picturesque  scene.  These  thick 
groves,  with  their  dark  green  verdure,  formed  again  an 
agreeable  contrast  to  the  extensive  plantation  of  orange  and 
lemon  trees,  loaded  with  their  golden  fruit  and  heavy  foliage 
of  bright,  lively  green,  that  increased  the  beauty  of  every 
town  and  village.  On  the  water,  at  all  times,  we  could 
count  as  many  as  a  dozen  feluccas,  with  their  long,  lateen 
sails  running  up  to  a  point ;  and  along  the  shores  of  the  vil- 
lages near  the  sea,  were  fisher-boats  drawn  up  on  the  beach, 
the  fishermen  busy  among  them  with  their  bright  red  caps 
and  sashes.  There  is  one  thing  you  may  at  all  times  ob- 
serve among  the  Italian  peasantry,  and  in  all  places  ;  it  is 
somewhat  amusing,  and  at  the  same  time,  extremely  dis- 
gusting. Whenever  they  have  any  spare  moments,  (aiid 
these  are  not  rare,)  you  will  see  them  seated,  perhaps  a  fa- 
ther with  a  child  between  his  knees,  examining  its  head, 
while  the  mother  or  an  older  child  is  performing  the  same 
operation  on  the  head  of  the  father,  and  so  on,  through  the 
family.     And  they  afford  good  hunting  ground,  for  they  seem 


280  WET    THE    ROPES. 


to  "  scare  up"  any  quantity  of  "  game,"  and  run  them  down, 
too,  in  no  time.     Always,  too,  in  Italy,  whenever  you  come 
to  the  foot  of  a  hill  that  requires  the  horse  to  walk,  you  are 
assailed  by  a  horde  that  would   fain   persuade  you  that  the 
town  hospital  or  infirmary  had  turned  out  to  greet  you.     The 
lame,  the   halt,  and   the  blind,  the  decrepid  and  deformed, 
the  most  hideous  and  misshapen  forms,  limbs  distorted  in  ev- 
ery way  ;  their  chant  and  chorus,  "  bella  signora,    quelqua 
cosa" — "  brave  Signori,  piccola  monata" — "  pauvri  miser- 
abli" — "  moite  di  fama  ;"  and  they  coll  upon  you  by  the  love 
of  your  father,  mother,  sister,  brother,  and  all  the  saints  in 
the  calendar.     Scarce  a  hill  but  has  this  accompaniment. 
You  have  heard  of  the  miller,  who,  when   asked   how  he 
could  live  in  such  a  constant  noise,  replied,  "  Oh,  the  noise 
don't  trouble  me  ;  I  never  hear  it  unless  the  mill  stops."     So 
I  find  these  beggars  brought  more  forcibly  to  my  mind  by 
their  very  absence.     The  peasantry  hereabouts  are  so  nice 
and  tidy  in  their  dress,  so  busy  and  industrious  in  their  hab- 
its, and  as  a  sequence,  are  happy  and  cheerful  in  their  looks. 
Our    last  day's  ride  would  have   almost  led  us  to  imagine 
ourselves  in  some  Asiatic  or  tropical  clime,   from  the  great 
number  of  palm  trees  waving  their  long  branches  amid  the 
varied  foliage  of  this  Italian  verdure.     It  is  said,  that  in  rais- 
ing the  Egyptian  pyramid  in  front  of  St.  Peter's  at  Rome, 
it  was  considered  such  a  difficult  w^ork,  that  great  multitudes 
had  gathered  to  see  it.     The  Pope,  who  was  present,  gave 
orders  that  perfect^silence  should  be  kept,  that  the  orders  of 
the  director  might  be  surely  heard,  and  to  insure  the  order, 
pronounced  death  upon  the  one  that  should  offend.     When 
the  pyramid  had  been  drawn  up  to  the  necessary  height,  the 
ropes  had  stretched  so  much  that  it  could  not  be  placed  up- 
on the  pedestal,  and  would  soon  have  fallen,  when  a  man  in 
the  crowd  called  out,   "  Aqua  alle  corde,"  and  then  stepped 
forward  to  give  himself  up.     The  director  immediately  gave 


A    CITY    OF   INVALIDS.  281 

the  necessary  orders,  the  ropes  were  wet,  they  contracted, 
and  drew  the  pillar  to  the  required  position.  The  man  was 
not  only  pardoned,  but  the  privilege  granted  to  him  and  his 
descendants,  of  furnishing  from  his  estate  the  palms  required 
for  the  churches  at  Rome  on  Palm  Sunday.  And  every 
year  since  that,  a  vessel  has  been  sent  from  San  Remo  to 
Rome,  freighted  with  palms,  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  ves- 
sels have  arrived  safely,  none  having  been  lost. 

When  about  ten  miles  distant  from  Nice,  we  were  high 
up  on  the  side  of  the  mountain,  from  whence  we  had  a  fine 
view  of  the  pretty  town,  its  fine  bay,  and  the  lovely  plain 
that  extended  from  the  shore  of  the  sea,  tp  the  base  of  the 
mountains  enclosing  the  whole.  We  descended  the  moun- 
tain at  a  rapid  rate,  and  crossing  the  plain  on  a  smooth  lev- 
el road,  which,  as  we  neared  the  town,  was  lined  on  either 
side  with  the  beautiful  oleander,  (or,  as  they  call  them  here, 
laurel  rose,)  soon  found  ourselves  amid  a  gay  and  motley 
crowd,  in  their  holiday  and  masquerade  dresses ;  it  being 
the  last  Sunday  of  the  Carnival,  all  classes  at  this  time  amuse 
themselves  with  these  follies.  By  the  time  we  had  found 
lodgings  and  taken  possession,  it  was  dark  ;  the  next 
day,  we  walked  about  to  observe  all  that  was  worth  no- 
tice, and  this  was  not  worth  much,  Nice  being  almost  a 
city  of  invalids,  the  resort  of  health  seekers  from  the 
neighboring  towns,  and  far  distant  countries.  The  houses 
seem  all  like  hotels,  many  of  them  new,  and  very  many 
now  building.  The  town  is  sheltered  behind. high  moun- 
tains, that  are  still  not  so  high  as  to  be  covered  with 
snow,  and  built  upon  the  shore  of  the  Mediterraaiean,  it 
looks  upon  the  open  sea,  receiving  the  full  benefit  of  its 
healthful  breezes.  It  was  a  bright,  warm  day,  and  there 
were  a  great  number  of  these  poor  invalids  walking  slowly 
along  the  pebbly  beach  ;  or  seated  upon  a  mound  of  stones 
raised    by    the  constant  rolling  of  the  sea,  they  watched 


282  THE    BOULEVARDS    OF    NICE. 

the  far  distant  waves,  moving,  rolling,  and  bounding  to  the 
shore,  dashing  and  breaking  themselves  at  the  feet,  and  cast- 
ing their  spray  upon  the  quiet  and  admiring  gazer.  Can 
you  imagine  a  more  delightful  occupation  for  an  invalid,  than 
to  sit  thus  for  hours,  with  the  bright,  warm  sun  looking  up- 
on them,  a  balmy  atmosphere  surrounding  them,  inhaling 
healthful  breezes,  gazing  upon 

"  That  glorious  mirror,  where  the  Almighty's  form  glass  es  itself  in  tem- 
pests." 

or  listening  to  hear 

'*  The  silver  waves 
Make  music  in  earth's  dark  and  winding  caves." 

There  is  just  enough  excitement  for  an  invalid,  and  of  the 
most  agreeable  and  pleasurable  kind,  causing  no  fatigue  in 
the  enjoyment,  and  having  no  ill  effects.  Then,  too,  there 
is  so  much  food  for  meditation  and  reflection  in  this  dread 
symbol  of  eternity,  immensity  and  power.  But  I  must  leave 
it  to  these  poor,  sickly  ones.  I  will  not  rob  them  of  any  of 
their  delights.  Here  is  a  row  of  houses  built  along  the 
bend  of  the  bay;  their  roofs  are  flat,  and  plastered  smoothly 
over,  forming  a  fine  promenade  called  the  Boulevards.  On 
one  side,  is  the  ever-restless,  changing  sea,  and  on  the  other, 
you  look  down  upon  a  street  lined  with  trees,  and  filled  with 
people  constantly  passing  and  repassing.  On  an  eminence 
overlooking  the  town  and  commanding  the  port,  are  extensive 
remains  of  an  old  fortress,  and  on  a  bank  near  the  sea,  is  a 
large  round  tower,  with  its  foundation  buried  in  the  rock, 
seemingly  half  excavated.  We  remained  at  Nice  one  day, 
leaving  early  in  the  morning  for  Toulon.  The  road  was 
now  more  distant  from  the  sea,  and  we  had  left  the  moun- 
tain "  Cornice."  Still,  there  were  somethings  novel  and 
interesting. 

We  were  now  in  France,  and  in  the  appearance  of  the 
people,  there  was  a  decided  change  for  the  better.     They 


CURIOUS    COINCIDENCE.  283 

were,  too,  very  industrious.  You  would  see  all  along  the 
road,  the  peasant  women  with  their  short,  full  skirts,  dis- 
playing, if  not  a  pretty  foot  and  ankle,  good  strong  stockings 
and  stout  shoes.  All  had  their  tidy  aprons,  «vith  capacious 
pockets;  a  dark  jacket  with  a  little  frill  falling  over  the  hips, 
laced  in  front  with  a  bright  red  ribbon  ;  and  what  struck  me 
the  most,  were  the  neat  white  caps,  with  their  fluted  borders 
of  lace  or  muslin,  forming  a  vivid  contrast  to  the  untidy,  un- 
combed heads  of  the  Italian  peasantry ;  and  to  crown  the 
whole,  a  straw  bonnet  with  a  low  crown  and  broad  brim, 
served  to  shade  their  pretty  faces.  Sometimes  they  would 
carry  large  and  heavy  burdens  on  their  heads,  with  a  state- 
ly, steady  step,  or  drive  a  herd  of  obstinate,  and  at  times,  un- 
ruly donkies ;  but  never  did  we  meet  any  one,  whatever 
other  occupation  she  might  have,  that  was  not  also  knitting 
as  she  walked.  Beside  the  olive,  orange,  lemon,  fig  and 
vines,  the  verdure  was  to  day  still  more  diversified  by  the 
almond  and  cork  trees.  The  first  were  in  full  bloom,  and 
with  their  delicate  pink  flowers  covering  the  leafless  boughs, 
bear  a  striking  resemblance  to  our  peach-tree,  when  cov- 
ered with  its  spring  blossoms.  The  cork-tree  was  to  me 
more  singular.  What  a  happy  coincidence  that  there  should 
grow  a  tree  furnishing  stoppers  to  the  bottle,  in  the  same 
soil  that  yields  the  wine  to  fill  them !  It  is  the  bark  of  the 
tree  that  makes  the  corks.  They  peel  the  bark  from  the 
trunk,  leaving  the  body  bare  from  the  branches,  nearly  to 
the  ground.  In  three  years,  there  grows  a  new  covering  of 
equal  thickness  with  the  old  ;  the  only  difference  is,  that 
the  new  is  of  a  lighter  color  than  the  old,  like  a  new  patch 
upon  an  old  garment.  Every  three  years  it  is  robbed  of  its 
coat,  and  again  a  new  one  covers  it,  each  new  one  better 
than  the  last.  The  corks  for  bottles  are  cut  lengthwise  of 
the  bark  ;  the  large  flat  ones,  transversely. 

About  noon,  we  passed  the  little  town  of  Cannes,  where 


284  TOULON. 


Napoleon  landed,  on  his  arrival  from  Elba,  and  we  saw  on  the 
small  tavern,  painted  in  large  black  letters,  that  Napoleon 
supped  and  slept  (?)  there  the  night  of  his  landing.  At 
sunset,  we  passed  through  a  village,  where  the  peasantry- 
were  all  dancing  in  the  main  street,  to  the  music  of  a  drum 
and  tambourine.  The  men  in  their  clean  blue  blonzes  and 
glazed  hats,  and  the  women  in  their  neat  becoming  caps ; 
old  and  young  mingled,  and  all  seemed  happy  together ; 
showing  that  with  their  industrious  habits  they  find  time  for 
enjoyment. 

Toulon,  the  principal  French  naval  station,  has  one  of  the 
finest  and  prettiest  ports  in  the  Mediterranean.  It  is  deep 
and  spacious,  at  the  same  time  that  its  entrance  is  narrow, 
and  easily  defended.  On  a  height  on  one  side,  is  the  fortress 
Eguilette,  that  Napoleon  took  possession  of  in  1793 — his 
coup  d'essai — and  from  whence  he  cannonaded  the  Bri- 
tish fleet,  forcing  them  to  evacuate  the  town  and  harbor. 
Our  consular  agent  here  is  a  Frenchman.  He  was  very 
polite  and  kind,  procuring  us  admission  to  and  through  the 
arsenal.  We  had  for  our  guide  an  old  marine,  who  had 
lost  an  arm  at  the  battle  of  Navarino.  I  have  never  wit- 
nessed any  thing  of  the  kind  so  extensive  as  this,  and  was 
very  much  interested,  in  the  two  hours  we  spent  in  going 
through  the  various  departments.  Here  were  ships  of 
every  kind  and  size,  both  for  sail  and  steam,  from  the  skele- 
ton frame  on  the  stocks,  to  the  mammoth  ship  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  guns,  fully  armed  and  equipped.  There  was  a 
smith  shop  of  eighty  furnaces,  with  the  bellows  made  to 
blow  by  steam.  These  were  occupied  in  making  the  ma- 
chinery and  iron  work  of  the  steamers.  In  another,  they 
made  the  boilers.  One  large  building  was  devoted  to  rope- 
making,  from  the  hetcheling  of  the  flax,  to  the  tarring  and 
twisting  of  the  ropes.  Then  there  was  an  immense  maga- 
zine or  depot,  for  all  the  raw  material.     Besides  these,  were 


GALLEY    SLAVES.  285 


the  cannon  foundry  and  the  arsenal.  Amid  all  this,  was 
one  painful  sight ;  the  great  number  of  galley  slaves,  (more 
than  three  thousand,)  being  employed  here,  mostly  in  the 
out-of-door  work,  and  to  the  eternal  music  of  their  clanking 
chains.  They  have  a  uniform,  a  long  red  jacket,  with  yel- 
low pantaloons,  buttoned  down  the  sides,  and  the  color  of 
the  cap  denotes  the  duration  of  their  punishment.  The 
green  caps  are  sentenced  for  life  ;  the  red  and  yellow,  ten 
and  twenty  years.  Some  of  the  old  ships  are  turned  into 
prison  ships,  others  into  baths  for  the  galley  slaves.  Some 
of  them  are  very  expert  in  carving  snuff-boxes,  and  other 
things  from  the  hard  shell  of  the  cocoa-nut,  and  they  are  in- 
deed exquisitely  wrought.  Toulon  is  a  pleasant,  pretty 
city,  with  a  deal  of  life  and  activity.  Its  streets  broad  and 
well  paved,  with  good  side-walks,  which  last  are  not  common 
in  any  European  city,  and  they  are  remarkably  clean. 
The  people  are  lively  and  sprightly,  and  seem  not  only  to 
have  plenty  to  do,  but  to  love  to  do  it.  The  street  along 
the  water-side  called  the  Quai,  was  filled  with  a  motley  and 
animated  multitude,  with  now  and  then  a  group  of  masque- 
raders,  looking  like  merry-andrews.  One  group  in  parti- 
cular amused  me  ;  a  man  dressed  as  a  woman,  with  cap  and 
curls,  beating  a  drum  through  the  streets,  followed  by  a 
small  regiment  fantastically  dressed,  with  their  faces  black- 
ened like  negroes,  They  cracked  their  jokes  upon  the  peo- 
ple, who  paid  them  in  the  same  coin,  affording  merriment 
as  they  went ;  and  not  only  witty,  but  the  cause  of  wit.  All 
along  the  Quai,  are  vessels  with  their  prows  projecting  far 
into  the  wide  street ;  and  though  all  are  lading  and  unlad- 
ing, the  street  is  clean,  and  free  from  all  encumbrance,  fur- 
nishing a  delightful  promenade  to  the  gay  and  fashionable, 
as  well  as  to  the  man  of  business,  and  the  laborer. 

Marseilles  was  our  next  stopping  place,  and  I  was  very  much 
pleased  with  the  town.     We  saw  it  pretty  well,  however, 


286  LA    GARDE    DE    LA    VIEEGE. 

by  riding,  walking,  and  climbing  high  places,  to  obtain 
a  good  view.  We  were  told  by  our  banker  here,  that 
there  is  in  Toulon  a  very  excellent  school.  Among  its 
students,  are  two  American  boys,  placed  there  by  their  father, 
a  lieutenant  in  the  navy,  two  years'  since.  The  first  year, 
they  had  of  course  the  language  to  acquire  ;  but  the  second, 
they  both  carried  off  the  highest  prizes  in  the  school.  Pretty 
well  for  Yankee  boys  !  is  it  not  ?  There  is  a  very  hand- 
some triumphal  arch  or  gate,  erected  in  honor  of  Napoleon 
and  the  glories  of  France.  As  we  passed  through  it,  a 
military  band  were  stationed  within,  discoursing  most  elo- 
quently on  their  various  instruments.  The  sweet  sounds 
followed  us,  while  we  strolled  along  the  winding  ways  of 
Napoleon's  walk,  as  it  is  called.  After  a  long  and  tedious 
ascent,  we  reached  the  summit  of  a  rocky  cliff,  on  which 
is  a  chapel,  called  "  La  Garde  de  la  Vierge,"  to  which  the 
sailors  resort  to  petition  for  a  blessing  on  their  voyage,  be- 
fore they  put  to  sea ;  or  to  render  their  thank-offerings  in 
gratitude  for  a  safe  return.  Strangers  resort  to  it,  for  the 
fine  view  obtained  both  of  the  city  and  port ;  which  last  is 
formed  by  a  long  slip  of  the  Mediterranean,  running  like  a 
river,  up  into  the  heart  of  the  city.  Its  blue  waters  are 
concealed  by  the  immense  number  of  vessels  that  fill  it. 
The  long  lateen  sail  of  the  Levant,  mingling  with  the  flags 
of  every  nation,  whose  ships  fill  the  streets  with  a  variegated 
multitude  of  Jews,  Turks,  Greeks,  Arabs  and  others,  from 
countries  termed  more  civilized.  At  the  Table  d'Hote,  we 
had  two  Arab  chiefs,  and  a  young  lad,  a  son  of  one  of  them, 
as  guests  at  dinner.  They  had  just  returned  from  Paris,  so 
were  not  quite  green.  They  were  Algerines,  and  had  been 
to  pay  a  friendly  visit  to  their  conqueror,  the  French  king. 
They  wore  their  native  costumes,  a  red  velvet  jacket,  cov- 
ered with  embroidery  of  gold  and  silver  braid.  Small  but- 
tons were   placed  thickly  down  the  front,  and  down  the 


MALAGA.  287 


seams  of  the  sleeves.  A  rich  sash  round  the  waist,  held 
their  many  weapons,  and  over  all,  they  wore  a  covering  of 
thin  white  silk,  like  crape,  in  which  their  forms  were  com- 
pletely enveloped.  Some  of  the  same  was  thrown  over 
their  heads  like  a  veil,  confined  by  a  rich  sash  or  shawl, 
fringed  with  little  gold  "jingles" — I  don't  know  what  else 
to  call  them — but  very  like  what  our  Indians  ornament  their 
tobacco  and  game-bags  with,  except  they  are  not  of  tin  like 
those  ;  but  apparently  of  more  precious  metal.  In  the  even- 
ing, they  were  at  the  opera,  (Masiniello,)  and  seemed  very 
much  pleased,  and  to  please  in  their  turn  ;  for  they  were 
really  the  observed  of  all  observers. 

And  now,  my  dear  brother,  where  do  you  think  I  am 
writing  at  this  moment  ?  I  commenced  this  at  Nice,  and 
am  at  this  present,  at  Malaga,  in  the  south  of  Spain. 
I  cannot  say  that  what  I  have  written  are  desultory 
thoughts ;  but  certainly  it  is  a  desultory  description.  I 
cannot  tell  you  how  many  times  I  have  seated  me  down, 
wrote  a  few  lines,  and  then  left  you  in  the  most  ab- 
rupt and  unceremonious  manner.  It  seems  surprising, 
and  I  can  scarce  myself  realize  that  we  should,  in  the 
present  disturbed  state  of  the  country,  be  in  Spain.  The 
last  steamer  that  arrived  at  Marseilles  before  we  left,  had 
been  detained  twenty-three  days  at  Alicante,  by  the  insur- 
gents. Alicante  is  in  a  state  of  blockade  by  sea  and  land  ; 
so  that  instead  of  being  able  to  visit  it,  as  we  had  hoped, 
the  captain  thought  best  to  keep  out  of  sight.  And  if  what 
we  heard  at  Valencia  be  true,  at  the  time  we  passed  Ali- 
cante, the  royalists  were  bombarding  the  town,  to  bring  it 
to  terms.  Carthagena  was  also  in  possession  of  the  insur- 
gents ;  so  that  we  were  disappointed  in  not  seeing  that,  too. 
At  Barcelona,  when  we  were  there,  workmen  were  busy  in 
repairing  the  houses  injured  by  the  balls  during  the  siege, 
when  the  insurgents  had  possession  of  the  town,  and  held  it 


288  BOMBARDING. 


from  September  to  November.  The  royalists  firing  from  a 
fortress  on  a  height  above,  forced  them  at  last  to  succumb. 
It  was  very  interesting  to  me  to  see  a  town,  so  shortly  after 
it  had  been  a  scene  of  warfare,  to  look  upon  the  houses  and 
walls  battered  and  defaced.  Even  in  the  public  promenade, 
the  trees  still  give  evidence  of  their  suffering,  having  nearly 
all  of  them  one  or  more  holes  made  in  their  trunks  by  the 
cannon  balls.  Though  there  is  risk,  and  even  danger,  in 
travelling  here  at  this  time,  yet  there  is  a  deal  of  excitement 
in  it,  that  I  like.  We  arrived  on  the  4th,  and  shall  leave  on 
the  10th,  for  Gibraltar;  from  thence  to  Cadiz,  thence  to  Se- 
ville, then  to  Madrid,  then  over  the  Pyrenees  to  France — 
going  through  the  heart  of  the  country,  and  what  is  a  little 
funny  (?)  without  being  able  to  speak  or  understand  a  word 
of  the  language,  except  as  we  glean  ^and  gather  a  word  as 
we  go  on.  What  harum  scarums  !  Well,  we  are  rejoic- 
ing in  a  sunny  clime  ;  the  air  soft  and  balmy,  like  our  plea- 
sant days  in  June.  Green  peas,  tomatoes,  radishe§,  lettuce, 
with  all  other  kinds  of  vegetables,  are  in  great  profusion, 
and  have  been,  I  suppose,  all  winter  ;  for  they  have  no  cold 
weather  here.  And  such  piles  of  oranges  in  the  market 
place  ;  not  like  those  of  Italy,  fair  to  the  eye,  but  sour  to  the 
taste  ;  but  these  are  large,  sweet,  juicy  and  luscious.  I  wish 
I  could  roll  a  great  heap  into  your  college  room.  What  a 
row  you  would  raise  among  them  !  Fresh  dates  and  sugar- 
canes,  too  !  Ah !  we  are  in  the  land  of  dates  and  palms  at 
last !  How  I  do  scribble  !  I  wonder  if  you  will  ever  make 
it  out.  This  will  be  sent  from  Gibraltar,  when  I  will  write 
a  few  words  on  the  back,  to  tell  you  of  our  latest  welfare ; 
but  can  only,  on  this  edge  of  the  sheet,  bid  you  affection- 
ately— adieu  I 


SPAIN COINCIDENCES.  289 


LETTER  XXXI. 

VOYAGE  TO  BARCELONA ENTRANCE  TO  THAT  CITY TROU- 
BLES IN  SPAIN PUBLIC  PROMENADE THE  QUEEN  MO- 
THER— -SHOPS DEPARTURE. 

It  will  not  surprise  you,  my  dear  coz,  to  find  this  dated  from 
the  southern  coast  of  Spain,  if  you  have  received  our  last 
letter  advising  you  of  our  intentions,  as  doubtless  will  be  the 
case  ere  you  are  in  receipt  of  this.  But  for  myself,  though 
we  have  been  for  some  time  talking  and  thinking  of  push- 
ing our  adventures  thus  far,  I  can  scarcely  realize  that  the 
truth  is  as  it  is,  and  that  we  should,  in  the  present  disordered 
state  of  the  country,  have  ventured  into  Spain.  Yet,  though 
there  is  danger,  there  is  also  excitement  and  novelty  in 
travelling  through  a  country  under  martial  law,  and  ^vhere 
one  may  at  any  moment  be  in  the  midst  of  an  insur- 
rection or  an  "emeute." 

You  will  remember,  a  few  years  since,  during  the  rebel- 
lion in  Canada,  we  had  a  steamer  burnt  in  the  month  of  De- 
cember ;  we  chose  the  following  summer  to  make  a  tour  of 
the  Canadas,  notwithstanding  we  were  thought  to  run  much 
risk.  We  had  a  delightful  tour,  we  were  treated  with  much 
politeness  by  the  British  officers,  and  encountered  nothing 
unpleasant  or  in  the  least  dangerous. 

When  in  England,  last  spring,  they  said  to  us  :  "  are  you 
not  afraid  to  enter  into  Ireland,  where  there  is  so  much  dis- 
order and  discontent  ?"  We  were  nothing  daunted,  and 
passed  through  the  whole  eastern  portion,  seeing  a  deal  of 
poverty,  misery,  and  degradation,  but  meeting  with  no  dis- 
aster or  impediment ;  on  the  contrary,  much  that  was  agree- 

13 


290  INSURRECTIONS. 


able,  and  more  interesting^,  perhaps,  from  the  state  of  the 
times. 

At  Venice,  last  fall,  just  as  we  were  on  the  point  of  em- 
barking for  the  east,  news  came  that  there  was  a  revolution 
in  Greece  ;  that  the  people  had  risen  in  a  body,  demanding 
of  the  king  a  constitution.  We  hesitated,  and  had  doubts  of 
the  wisdom  of  proceeding  ;  but  ere  other  tidings  had  been 
received,  we  had  decided,  and  were  on  our  way  ;  and  per- 
haps could  not  have  visited  Greece  at  a  more  interesting 
period. 

When  in  the  south  of  Italy,  we  first  heard  of  the  insurrec- 
tion  at  Barcelona,  of  which  place  the  insurgents  had  pos- 
session two  months,  from  September  to  November.  We 
were  not  altogether  discouraged,  though  we  had  some  fear, 
from  the  general  disorder  throughout  the  whole  country.  Be- 
fore reaching  Marseilles,  where  we  expected  to  take  the 
steamer  for  Spain,  we  had  intelligence  of  the  insurrection  at 
Terragona,  an  old  and  interesting  town  south  of  Barcelona, 
that  we  hoped  to  have  seen  ;  this  being  one  of  the  places  the 
steamer  advertised  to  stop  at.  Arrived  at  Marseilles,  we 
heard  that  the  last  boat  that  came  in  was  detained  twenty 
days  at  Carthagena,  by  order  of  the  insurgents,  who  were  in 
possession  of  that  place.  Passengers,  cargo,  &;c.,  all  were 
obliged  to  stay,  for  no  other  boat  came  to  take  them  on. 

It  so  happened  that  the  person  who  received  the  order  to 
detain  the  boat  was  one  of  the  consignees,  and  he  at  last 
took  an  opportunity  to  get  the  boat  off.  No  boat  had  left 
Marseilles  for  Spain  for  three  weeks,  not  daring  to  venture 
until  they  had  received  certain  intelligence.  One  was  now 
to  sail  the  morning  after  our  arrival.  We  took  passage  and 
went  aboard,  but  did  not  leave  till  the  following  morning, 
owing  to  the  weather.  The  captain  was  obliged,  by  the 
laws  of  Spain,  to  go  a  day's  sail  out  of  his  way,  to  the  little 
port  of  Centa,  east  of  Toulon,  to  obtain  his  papers  of  clear- 


291 

ance  ;  and  here  bad  weather  and  strong  head  winds  de- 
tained us  another  twenty-four  hours.  This  was  somewhat 
disheartening,  but  at  last  the  sun  shone  out  brightly,  which 
was  cheering,  though  the  wind  was  too  strong  to  admit  of  re- 
maining long  upon  deck.  The  passengers  were  a  mixture 
of  French,  English,  Spanish,  Arabs,  and  Moors,  we  be- 
ing the  only  Americans.  Many  spoke  English,  and  all 
French,  and  were  pleasant  and  polite. 

We  had  a  little  Spanish  boy,  of  six  years,  quite  a  musical 
prodigy.  He  played  upon  the  violin  exquisitely,  so  that  it 
was  really  delightful,  as  well  as  marvellous,  to  listen.  He 
was  a  pretty,  sprightly  lad,  held  his  instrument  well,  and 
handled  his  bow  admirably.  He  has  played  before  the 
queen  mother,  and  receives  from  her  an  annuity  of  forty 
dollars,  to  be  expended  upon  his  musical  education.  We 
had  also  a  large  basket  of  carrier-pigeons  from  Antwerp, 
destined  for  Valencia,  and  a  company  of  actors,  on  their  way 
to  Havana.  These  last  enlivened  our  moonlight  evenings 
upon  deck,  with  singing  and  playing  on  the  guitar.  At 
times  the  passengers  (Spaniards)  would  gather  round,  and 
while  the  musician  played  some  national  or  familiar  air, 
they  would  successively  improvise  a  stanza,  sometimes  call- 
ing forth  rapturous  applause. 

We  reached  Barcelona  at  eleven,  P.  M.  the  following 
day,  the  weather  rainy,  and  the  wind  blowing  from  the  same 
adverse  quarter  ;  and  though  at  anchor,  there  was  a  deal  of 
unpleasant  motion  all  night.  The  next  morning,  as  soon 
as  we  had  obtained  ^^free  pratique,^'  we  prepared  to  land. 
While  C.  was  upon  deck,  sifaquino,  or  porter,  came  aft,  and 
asked  if  he  had  anything  to  take  ashore.  He  replied 
"no,"  and  turned  away  to  be  rid  of  his  importunities  ;  when 
hearing  a  noise,  he  turned  again,  and  saw  the  soldier  who 
was  there  as  a  guard,  pushing  and  driving  the  man  from  the 
quarter-deck  ;  the   porter,  going  backwards,  fell ;  when  the 


292  EFFECTS    OF    A    SIEGE. 

soldier  struck  him  a  blow  with  his  sword  across  the  upper 
part  of  his  arm,  cutting  a  terrible  gash,  from  which  the 
blood  gushed  in  a  torrent.  He  then  hustled  him  off,  and 
got  rid  of  him ;  no  one  interfering.  What  a  state  must  a 
country  be  in,  when  one  of  these  ignorant  common  soldiers 
can  thus  take  the  law  in  his  own  hands  ! 

The  steamer  lay  at  some  distance  from  the  landing,  and 
our  passage  was  made  over  a  rough  sea.  The  landing-place, 
too,  was  some  distance  from  the  hotel ;  but  the  walk  was 
along  the  ramparts,  (the  wall  of  the  sea,)  and  afforded  a 
fine  view  of  both  town  and  harbor.  The  first  thing  that 
struck  us  on  going  ashore,  was  the  marks  of  the  balls  on 
the  outside  oi  the  wall,  and  the  gate  through  which  you  en- 
ter from  the  port.  We  passed  through  the  grand  square 
just  within  the  gate,  where  is  the  palace  of  the  governor ; 
formerly  that  of  the  kings  of  Arragon ;  the  Hotel  de  Ville, 
the  exchange,  and  custom-house,  with  many  palaces  of  the 
nobility  ;  all  large  and  splendid  edifices,  beautifully  orna- 
mented with  rich  carvings  and  pretty  balconies,  forming 
altogether  a  noble  square,  with  one  side  open  to  the  sea. 

Here  the  workmen  were  busy  repairing  the  injuries  these 
handsome  buildings  received  during  the  siege  ;  large  blocks 
of  stone  were  being  replaced,  as  well  as  marble  columns 
and  panes  of  glass.  A  beautiful  walk  on  the  top  of  the  wall 
that  defends  the  city  on  the  sea-side,  following  the  bend  of 
its  fine  port,  led  to  the  ''^  Fonda  de  Quatres  Naciones"  where 
we  intended  to  breakfast  and  remain  till  the  boat  sailed. 
On  the  inner  side  of  this  wall  were  large  and  handsome 
dwellings,  but  very  many  of  them,  for  a  long  distance,  bore 
evidence  of  the  warfare  of  which  they  had  been  the  scene. 
Some  of  them  were  entirely  battered  down,  with  only  a 
mass  of  ruined  wall  and  rubbish  remaining  ;  in  some,  the  can- 
non balls  had  made  their  passage  quite  through,  and  the  win- 
dows were  all,   even  now,  void  of  glass.     It  was  a  novel 


BARCELONA.  293 


sight  to  me  to  witness  these  marks  of  actual  bombardment ; 
and  I  could  scarcely  convince  myself  that  I  was  looking  on 
in  propria  personcB. 

The  city  of  Barcelona  is  situated  on  a  plain  and  on  a 
high  promontory,  overlooking  and  commanding  it,  stands 
the  fortress  of  Mont  Jouy  now  in  possession  of  the  royalists. 
At  the  time  of  the  last  siege,  the  royalists  held  the  fort  by 
the  sea-side,  near  the  gate  by  which  we  entered,  and  it 
was  the  balls  from  thence  that  so  battered  the  houses  on  the 
square  and  quay.  It  was  the  captain's  intention  to  leave  in  the 
evening,  if  possible  ;  so  we  resolved  to  be  very  busy,  and 
see  all  in  the  course  of  the  day.  We  had  a  number  of  our 
fellow-passengers  breakfasting  with  us,  forming  so  singular 
a  collection  that  I  cannot  forbear  mentioning  them.  The 
party  consisted  of  two  English,  one  Frenchman,  one  Prus- 
sian, one  Swedfe,  one  Spaniard,  ourselves  American,  and 
the  waiter  Italian.  Each  of  the  party  spoke  more  or  less 
French  and  English  ;  and  it  was  amusing  enough  to  hear  the 
broken  English,  and  quite  as  disabled  French  with  which 
the  conversation  was  carried  on,  interspersed  with  here  and 
there  a  jet  of  Spanish  and  Italian. 

The  hotel  was  situated  on  the  public  promenade,  called 
here  the  "  Rambla."  This  has  a  wide  gravel  walk  in  the 
centre,  shaded  on  either  hand  by  fine  large  trees.  On 
each  side  is  a  paved  road  for  vehicles,  the  whole  lined 
by  handsome  buildings ;  dwellings,  churches,  theatres,  and 
palaces.  There  is  always  a  balcony  to  every  window, 
where  you  may  stand,  shaded  by  an  awning  of  matting,  and 
look  down  upon  the  multitude  constantly  passing  up  and 
down.  Spanish  dons  with  their  ample  cloaks,  that  none 
know  how  to  wear  so  gracefully.  Donnas  with  their 
silk  mantillas,  trimmed  with  lace,  always  black,  as  well  as 
the  dress,  with  the  universal  accompaniment — a  fan — that 
they  are  continually  opening,  shutting,  and  flirting  about 


294  CATALONIAN    COSTUMES. 

Then,  the  walk  and  carriage  of  the  donnas  is  as  easy  and 
graceful  as  that  of  the  dons  is  lordly  and  majestic.  There 
is  the  Catalonian  peasant,  wearing  a  large  square  blanket, 
striped  with  red  and  other  bright  colors,  its  ample  folds 
thrown  over  his  shoulder,  and  its  gay  fringe  of  colored  balls 
or  tassels  dangling  hither  and  thither  as  he  walks.  On  the 
head  they  wear  a  woollen  cap  of  some  bright  color,  with  a 
long  end  hanging  down  the  back,  or  folded  back  and  forth 
upon  the  head.  Some  among  them  wear  black  velvet  hats, 
with  low  pointed  crowns,  garnished  at  the  top  and  bottom  of 
the  crown  with  two  huge  rosettes.  Many  wear  handsomely 
ornamented  buckskin  gaiters,  laced  up  behind;  others  im- 
mense boots,  reaching  above  the  knee. 

At  this  time  there  was  an  unusual  degree  of  life  and  bustle, 
for  all  were  on  the  qui  vive  in  expectation  of  the  arrival  of 
Marie  Christine,  the  queen  mother,  now  on*her  return  from 
Paris,  where  she  fled  three  years  since.  They  are  erect- 
ing a  triumphal  arch  near  the  hotel  ;  it  is  made  of  wood  and 
painted  canvass,  surmounted  by  an  immense  gilt  crown, 
and,  though  not  yet  complete,  it  bids  fair  to  make  a  very  good 
appearance.  In  the  grand  square  they  were  raising  an 
Egyptian  obelisk,  also  of  canvass,  covered  with  hierogly- 
phics, at  night  to  be  illuminated  by  two  thousand  lights. 
The  churches  and  other  public  buildings  were  ornamented 
with  hangings  of  crimson  and  gold,  or  blue  and  white,  with 
silver  ornaments.  Troops  of  soldiers  were  continually 
marching  up  and  down,  others  in  squads  of  a  dozen  or  so,  I 
suppose  to  awe  the  people  ;  for  all  this  is  done,  of  course,  by 
the  royalists.  The  military  will  probably  receive  her  with 
open  arms,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  even  they  will  with  open 
hearts.  The  people,  gathered  in  little  knots,  seemed  en- 
gaged  in  interesting  discussions,  showing  letters  and  papers 
to  eath  other ;  all  apparently  in  too  great  excitement  to  set- 
tie  to  their  ordinary  occupations. 


THE    RAMBLA.  295 


Instead  of  leaving  the  next  morning,  as  we  expected  on 
our  landing,  the  captain  received  an  order  from  the  gov- 
ernor detaining  the  boat  till  an  express  could  be  sent  to  the 
queen  mother,  at  Perpignan,  to  know  if  she  would  wish  to 
use  our  steamer ;  in  which  case  the  passengers  and  cargo 
would  be  left  here  till  the  queen  was  conveyed  to  Valencia, 
when  the  boat  would  return  for  the  passengers.  This  was 
provoking,  and  we  wished  her  majesty  out  of  our  way,  at 
least ;  but  there  was  no  help  for  it,  and  we  were  forced  to 
wait  and  abide  the  answer  the  express  might  bring. 

In  the  meantime  we  had  to  while  away  the  hours  as  we 
best  could.  We  walked,  as  did  half  of  Barcelona,  up  and 
down  the  "Rambla."  At  the  end  of  it  are  some  splendid 
edifices.  One,  formerly  the  college — suppressed  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  eighteenth  century,  by  Phillip  V. — is  now  a  ca- 
serne, a  barrack  for  soldiers.  At  one  end  of  it  is  a  fine  church, 
probably  the  chapel  of  the  university;  it  is  carved  all  over 
in  diamonds,  giving  it  an  unique  and  singular  effect.  Not 
far  distant  is  a  ci-devant  convent,  now  converted  into  a  place 
for  dog-fights.  Near  this  is  a  palace  of  the  kings  of  iVrra- 
gon,  ornamented  with  rich  carving  over  the  doors,  win- 
dows, and  along  the  balcony  of  the  top.  On  the  opposite 
side  were  other  fine  buildings — palaces  of  the  nobility — 
painted  all  over  in  fresco.  Very  many  of  the  houses  are 
ornamented  with  frescoes  of  different  kinds.  Some  are 
painted  in  colors,  like  oil  pictures  ;  others  in  black  and 
white,  like  engravings ;  while  others  are  different  from  any 
we  have  ever  seen,  and  seem  to  be  made  by  having  the 
figures  scratched  when  the  plaster  was  fresh,  like  a  semi-bas 
relief.  We  walked  through  a  number  of  streets  where  there 
were  fine  shops,  but  filled  mostly  with  French  goods.  The 
ladies  are  really  beautiful,  and  walk  and  carry  themselves 
with  a  great  deal  of  grace. 

The  first  evening,  hearing  there  was  to  be  an  opera,  we 


296  SPAIN MOUNT   JOUY. 

with  the  Frenchman  and  Swede,  took  a  lodge  at  the  thea- 
tre ;  but  we  were  disappointed,  there  being  only  a  comedy 
and  vaudeville,  and  being  unable  to  understand  a  word,  were 
all  of  us  very  sleepy.  We  had,  however,  very  good  music, 
and  a  national  dance — el  bolero — after  which  we  left.  The 
next  morning  we  passed  playing  cards  with  the  Frenchman 
and  Swede,  and  parted,  hoping  the  morning  would  bring  a 
summons  to  depart.  But  it  not  coming,  we  the  next  day  sal- 
lied out  for  a  walk  to  the  fortress  of  Mont  Joiiy.  This  be- 
ing the  highest  ground  in  the  neighborhood,  afforded  us  a 
delightful  view  of  the  city,  as  well  as  of  the  harbor,  and  far 
out  into  the  open  sea.  A  richly-cultivated  plain  extends 
from  the  city  to  the  mountain  that  rose  abruptly  with  a 
ridge  of  snow-capped  Pyrenees,  enclosing  a  plain  dotted 
throughout  with  villages  and  towns,  (ws  could  count  at  least  a 
dozen,)  and  the  roads  leading  to  them  were  as  distinct  as 
the  lines  on  a  chart.  Turning  at  intervals  to  see  the 
changes  in  the  scenery  that  every  step  in  our  progress 
seemed  to  make,  we  reached  at  length  the  gate  of  the  cita- 
del. The  sentinel  would  not  allow  us  to  enter,  ])ut  a 
young  officer  politely  came  forward,  and  inquired  if  we  had 
an  order  of  admission.  We  said  "  no;"  but  upon  telling  him 
we  were  passengers  in  the  steamer  just  arrived,  he  said  if 
we  would  wait  a  moment,  he  would  send  and  endeavor  to 
obtain  us  admittance  ;  he  was  unsuccessful,  so  without  much 
regret  on  my  part,  we  retraced  our  steps. 

While  at  dinner,  the  captain  called  to  say  that  an  answer 
had  arrived  from  the  queen,  who,  not  wishing  to  go  on  so 
soon,  would  take  the  next  steamer ;  so  we  were  at  liberty 
to  depart.  We  left  the  next  morning  at  ten.  The  wind 
was  high,  and  the  sea  rough — at  least,  sufficiently  so  to 
cause  an  unpleasant  feeling,  and  make  a  horizontal  position 
the  most  comfortable.      We  sailed  near  the  coast,  and  were 


ADIEU.  297 


charmed  with  the  scenery  and  the  color  of  the  mountains ; 
but  the  wind  and  sun  were  too  much  for  me,  and  fairly 
drove  me  below,  where  I  remained  till  after  dinner,  and 
then  went  on  deck  to  see  a  fine  sunset. 


298 


A    SPANISH    OMNIBUS. 


LETTER  XXXII. 

THE    PORT     OF     VALENCIA THE      CITY VEHICLE     OF    THE 

COUNTRY CONVENTS PRIESTS TROUBLES    OF    SPAIN 

VOYAGE    TO     MALAGA APPEARANCE     OP    THE    COAST    OF 

ANDALUSIA ENTRANCE    TO    MALAGA. 

Valentia,  Spain,  March. 

This  morning  we  anchored  in  the  harbor  of  Grao,  the 
port  of  Valencia  ;  the  city  being  situated  some  three  miles 
distant  from  the  sea.  We  were  landed  by  a  large  row-boat 
filled  with  a  motley  assortment  of  luggage  and  passengers. 
The  vehicle  that  conveyed  us  to  Valencia  was  primitive 
enough,  and  anything  else  than  inviting,  but  it  would  not 
do  to  be  fastidious  where  there  was  no  choice.  Though 
there  was  no  variety,  there  certainly  was  no  deficiency  in 
number;  they  are  constantly  conveying  people  to  and  fro, 
from  the  port  to  the  city,  and  number,  we  are  told,  four 
thousand.  In  appearance,  they  are  much  like  our  ice -carts  ; 
drawn  by  one  horse,  the  driver  having  a  seat  on  the  hinder 
part  of  the  right  shaft.  You  enter  in  the  rear  by  means  of 
a  crooked  stick  placed  across  from  one  side  of  the  vehicle 
to  the  other,  the  floor  is  a  netting  made  of  ropes,  and  the 
seats,  running  like  those  in  an  omnibus,  from  end  to  end, 
are  hung  on  leather  straps.  The  horse  goes  only  on  a 
walk,  for  the  vehicle,  being  without  springs,  a  faster  gait 
would  jolt  the  life  out  of  all  within.  There  were  seven  of 
our  party,  drawn  by  a  miserable,  raw-boned  beast,  that 
looked  as  if  he  might  claim  indisputably  to  be  a  lineal  des- 
cendant of  Don  Quixotte's  Rosinante. 

Near  the  landing,  we  passed  a  long  row  of  government 


VALENCIA. 


299 


Stores,  closed  in  by  a  gateway,  with  strong,  heavy  doors  ; 
passing  these,  we  entered  the  village  by  another  gateway, 
and  were  soon  on  the  high-road  to  Valencia.  The  road 
itself  is  unique  ;  it  is  straight  and  level,  and  lined  the  whole 
distance  with  immense  trees,  whose  tops  meet,  forming  an 
arch  above,  and  when  covered  with  their  summer  foliage, 
must  form  a  delightful  shade.  At  this  time,  they  were  just 
putting  out  a  curious  blossom,  long,  red  and  pendant,  and  in 
the  field  were  almond  trees,  filled  with  pretty,  pink  blossoms. 
The  trees  by  the  way-side,  grow  in  a  deep  trench,  that  is 
every  day  filled  with  water,  during  the  dry  season.  They 
have  had  no  rain  now  since  last  October,  and  the  soil  is 
like  lime,  it  is  so  white  and  dry  ;  the  trunks  and  branches 
of  the  trees  are  white  with  the  powdered  earth,  as  well  as 
the  grass  and  bushes  in  the  vicinity  of  the  road.  But  when 
it  does  rain,  they  say  it  comes  like  a  deluge  ;  rendering  the 
streets  of  the  city,  and  the  roads  about  it  impassable  from 
the  mud  and  water. 

Just  before  entering  the  city,  we  crossed  a  fine  bridge 
over  the  Tauro  or  Gaudelite ;  it  has  ten  fine  arches,  ^nd 
two  very  good  statues  stand  under  a  pretty  tower,  one  on 
each  side,  near  the  centre  of  the  bridge.  The  massive 
structure,  at  this  time  seemed  quite  misplaced,  for  there 
was  no  water  beneath  it ;  the  bed  of  the  river  being  as  dry 
as  all  the  region  round,  so  that  people  were  crossing  it 
at  various  points,  dry-shod.  From  this  point  we  had  a  fine 
view  of  the  city.  The  country  around  is  irrigated  by  dig- 
ging  trenches,  and  letting  in  water  from  reservoirs,  filled 
from  wells,  by  means  of  a  wheel  kept  constantly  turning  by 
a  horse,  in  the  same  manner  as  is  seen  in  Greece.  This 
keeps  the  herbage  green  and  luxuriant,  so  that  the  country 
does  not  present  the  dry  and  arid  aspect  you  might  fancy, 
from  the  long  droughts  to  which  they  are  subject. 

Valencia  looks    magnificent    as   you  approach  it  ;  it  is 


300  THE    CITY    WALLS. 


walled,  has  several  fine  bridges,  and  its  beautiful  domes, 
pagoda-like  towers,  with  its  rich  verdure,  and  here  and  there 
a  waving  palm  tree,  give  it  a  truly  Asiatic  aspect.  On  en- 
tering the  city,  a  pretty  garden  greets  the  eye,  filled  with 
shrubbery,  and  flowers  of  various  kinds,  among  which  I 
could  distinguish  a  profusion  of  roses.  Here,  too,  they  were 
preparing  for  the  Queen's  arrival,  by  erecting  a  column, 
surmounted  by  a  statue,  with  wreaths  and  garlands,  in  the 
midst  of  this  beautiful  garden. 

After  breakfasting,  we  walked  through  the  city ;  having 
for  our  cicerone  a  young  Englishman,  born  at  Gibraltar, 
who  had  been  seven  years  in  the  Spanish  service,  attained 
the  rank  of  major,  and  won  three  ribbons,  and  three  stars 
or  medals,  which  he  wore  on  the  left  breast  of  his  neat  and 
handsome  uniform.  He  is  now  ordered  to  Morocco,  to  do 
battle  with  the  Moors.  We  entered  the  cathedral ;  it  has 
a  finely  carved  doorway,  and  is  in  the  interior  rii;hly  decor- 
ated with  gilding,  marble,  paintings,  &c.,  but  will  hardly 
compare  with  the  beautiful  Italian  ones  we  have  so  lately 
seen.  We  went  outside  the  gates  leading  to  Saragossa, 
and  saw  all  along  the  marks  of  the  balls  fired  by  the 
French.  These  walls  were  built  by  the  Moors,  and  have, 
at  intervals,  narrow  openings,  for  the  swift- winged  messen- 
ger of  deat'i  then  used,  the  arrow.  The  top  of  the  wall  has 
a  pretty  and  fanciful  ornament  peculiar  to  the  Moors,  and 
which  gives  them  an  appearance  different  from  those  of 
walled  cities  generally.  The  streets  are  all  very  narrow 
and  crooked,  and  will  not  compare  in  this  respect,  nor  in 
the  number  of  its  public  walks  with  Barcelona.  But  it  has 
retained  its  air  of  antiquity,  that  Barcelona  has  lost  in  the 
more  modern  improvements  it  has  acquired  in  its  commer- 
cial intercourse  with  the  French  and  Italian  ports  of  the 
Mediterranean. 

There  are  very  many  palaces,  and  buildings   formerly 


A   LIFT    FOR   COBBLEES.  301 

convents,  still  retaining  their  latticed  windows,  as  when  the 
nuns  inhabited  them.  The  palaces  are  many  of  them  orna- 
mented w^iih  fine  carving  and  frescoes,  but  the  possessors 
are  very  poor.  The  nobility  of  Valencia  are  said  to  be  the 
poorest  in  Spain  ;  their  pride  and  their  poverty  have  become 
a  by- word  and  proverb.  Here,  as  at  Barcelona,  we  noticed 
the  barber's  sign,  a  huge  brass  basin  hung  out  on  each  side 
of  the  door  ;  such  as  v/e  read  of  in  Don  Quixotte,  as  serving 
the  attendant  of  the  dolorous  knight,  for  a  helmet  in  a  case 
of  need.  Our  cicerone,  the  young  officer,  tells  us,  that  in  all 
parts  of  Spain  a  shoemaker  is  looked  down  upon,  and  con- 
sidered the  lowest  of  human-kind,  while  the  cobbler  is  a  man 
of  consequence,  and  looked  up  to  by  all  classes  ;  though 
the  first  has  a  shop  well  filled  with  the  results  of  his  in- 
dustry, the  other  only  a  seat  near  a  wall  in  the  street ;  but 
being  a  great  gossip  and  newsmonger,  he  no  doubt  acquires 
a  knowledge  that  is  power.  The  hats  of  the  Spanish  priests 
differ  from  those  of  other  countries  ;  they  are  what  are 
called  shovel  hats,  with  low  crowns,  and  very  broad  brims, 
fastened  on  the  top  of  the  crown,  one  side  lapping  over  the 
other.  Our  cicerone  was  a  very  kind  and  obliging  one, 
but  he  only  knew  of  the  exterior  of  the  city,  and  could  tell 
us  nothing  of  what  was  best  worth  seeing  within  its  many 
churches  and  other  buildings,  so  that  I  have  no  doubt  there 
were  many  things  lost  to  us  only  for  want  of  proper  di- 
rection. 

The  captain  having  lost  so  much  time  at  Barcelona,  was 
determined  to  lose  none  here;  so  by  six  o'clock,  P.  M.,  we 
were  again  afloat.  A  number  of  laborers  were  busily  em« 
ployed  in  clearing  the  mud  trom  a  part  of  the  harbor,  that 
her  Majesty  might  more  easily  effect  a  landing  on  her 
arrival.  Our  young  officer  paid  his  respects  to  his  former 
general  at  Valencia,  who  told  him  that  in  ten  days  they 
would  bombard  Alicant,  now  in  the  possession  of  the  insur- 


I 


302  CARTHAGENA. 


gents,  and  blockaded  by  sea  and  land.  They  will  bring 
all  their  artillery  to  bear  upon  it,  and  bring  the  town  down 
about  their  ears,  if  there  be  no  other  way  of  forcing  them  to 
terms.  One  of  the  steamers  was,  not  long  since,  detained 
here  some  time,  then  proceeding  as  far  as  Barcelona,  she 
was  taken  possession  of  by  the  other  party,  the  Royalists, 
who  filled  her  with  troops,  and  sent  her  back  to  Valencia ; 
after  which  she  was  permitted  to  go  on  her  way  rejoicing. 
A  short  time  since  the  royalists  did  a  high-handed  thing  in 
seizing  upon  the  mails  at  Madrid,  and  taking  possession  of 
the  letters,  which  of  course  will  do  injury  to  the  merchants 
and  men  of  business,  cause  disappointments  to  those  expect- 
ing letters  from  friends  afar,  and,  what  is  far  worse,  bring 
death  to  many  who  are  but  suspected  now. 

The  next  day,  in  passing  Alicant,  the  captain  was  careful 
to  keep  out  of  sight,  though  our  course,  with  the  exception 
of  this  and  Carthagena,  was  close  in  shore,  within  almost  a 
stone's  throw  of  the  land.  We  had  delightful  weather,  the 
moon  was  at  its  full,  and  shone  bright  and  beautiful  ;  the 
air  was  so  soft  and  warm,  that  we  could  sit  upon  deck  at 
evening,  listening  to  the  light  guitar,  which  nearly  all  on 
board  could  play,  and  very  many  seemed  to  possess  the 
talent  of  improvising,  these  gathered  round  the  player,  sing- 
ing stanzas  indiscriminately ;  the  captain,  as  much  a  boy  as 
any,  sang  and  played  in  his  turn. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  fifth,  we  passed  Carthagena, 
but  at  too  great  a  distance  to  see  much  of  the  place  ;  we 
could  distinguish  a  Spanish  vessel  of  war,  and  two  smaller 
ones  of  the  felucca  kind,  belonging  to  the  insurgents.  We 
had  now  reached  the  Andalusian  coast,  (next  to  Catalonia, 
the  richest  in  Spain,)  and  looked  upon  a  lovely  scene.  The 
whole  coast  had  hitherto  been  bold,  high,  and  rapid  ;  here 
the  mountains  were  not  steep,  but  had  a  gradual  slope  to 
the  sea.     The  surface  was  broken,  and  beautifully  undulat- 


VIEW    OF    MALAGA.  303 


ing,  being  made  up  of  mounds  and  declivities,  dotted  all 
over  with  trees,  and  pretty  white  houses,  villas  and  country- 
seats,  each  one  having  a  little  knoll  to  itself,  and  the  whole 
carpeted  with  a  verdure  of  every  shade  of  green,  and  en- 
veloped in  a  dreamy  atmosphere,  and  a  coloring  so  soft,  rich 
and  varied,  as  to  seem  almost  prismatic.  Along  the  whole 
coast,  at  short  intervals,  sometimes  on  a  hillock,  overlooking 
the  sea,  or  on  the  shore  washed  by  its  waves,  was  a  Moorish 
tower  or  fortress,  and  there — 

'*  On  yon  long,  level  plain,  at  distance  crowned 
With  crags,  whereon  those  Moorish  turrets  rest, 
Wide  scattered  hoof-marks  dint  the  wounded  ground  ; 
And  scathed  by  fire,  the  green-sward's  darkened  vest, 
Tells  that  the  foe  was  Andalusia's  guest." 

The  scene  continued,  if  possible,  increasing  in  loveliness, 
till  Malaga  broke  upon  our  view,  the  most  striking  features  of 
the  town  looming  up  while  we  were  yet  afar  off.  These  were 
its  large  and  magnificent  Cathedral,  that  may  vie  in  beauty 
and  grandeur  with  any  in  Europe  ;  its  tall  light-house,  stand- 
ing like  a  sentinel  at  the  extremity  of  one  of  the  fine  moles 
of  its  pretty  port,  where  the  vessels  are  all  ranged  in  rows, 
one  behind  the  other,  like  a  company  of  soldiers  ;  the  high 
mountains  on  the  north,  covered  by  an  ancient  and  exten- 
sive Moorish  fortress,  from  which  a  wall  leads  down  the 
sides  of  the  mountain,  to  a  mass  of  ruins,  formerly  towers 
and  fortifications,  but  now  mingled  with  the  houses  of  the 
town,  and  formed  into  habitations  for  many  a  poor  family. 

We  landed  on  the  mole  opposite  to  that  on  which  the  light- 
house stands  (for  the  harbor  has  a  mole  on  either  side).  It 
was  a  lively  and  busy  scene,  filled  with  boatmen,  ready  to 
ply  their  numerous  little  craft,  and  peasantry,  busy  in  their 
out-of-door  traflic.  Here,  too,  was  a  sight  that  would  have 
gladdened  the  eyes  of  some  little-folk,  I  trow;  great  piles  of 
oranges,  in  cart-loads  on  the  ground,  the  largest  a  penny  a 


304  ORANGES. 


piece,  and  the  small  ones  a  penny  a  dozen.  Stacks  of  su- 
gar-cane, too,  so  sweet,  fresh,  and  juicy,  I  cannot  partake  of 
them  without  wishing  to  share  them  with  those  I  love.  We 
have  here,  too,  a  currency  to  which  we  have  been  accus- 
tomed at  home,  and  this  is  pleasant,  as  is  anything  of  home. 
But  I  am  tired  now  ;  in  my  next  you  shall  have  more  of  Mal- 
aga.    Adieu. 


MALAGA.  805 


LETTER   XXXIII. 

THE  GHIBELFARO ALAMEDA BEAUTIFUL  WOMETs' CATHE- 
DRAL  ENVIRONS  OF  MALAGA MODE  OF  IRRIGATION. 

Malaga,  Spain,  March. 

We  have  now  been  here  a  sufficient  time  to  enable  me  to 
give  you  some  account  of  this  delightful  city.  Its  appear- 
ance from  the  water,  I  have  already  described.  It  has  a 
good  port,  but  at  present  not  very  well  fillod  with  shipping. 
On  one  of  the  points  of  its  crescent,  is  a  fine,  large  light- 
house ;  the  other  point  has  a  good  mole  or  landing,  constant- 
ly filled  with  a  busy,  trafficking  people.  Along  the  bend  of 
the  crescent  is  a  fine  street,  lined  with  stores  and  dwellings, 
not  very  high,  but  uniform,  plain,  and  neat,  with  balconies 
looking  upon  the  water,  and  having  a  bright  and  cheerful 
sun  lighting  their  fronts. 

On  a  height,  at  the  north  end  of  the  town,  is  an  old  for- 
tress— the  Ghibelfaro — apparently  in  a  state  of  ruin,  but  in 
reality  it  is  at  present  in  good  repair.  From  this  fortress,  a 
wall  runs  along  the  side  of  the  hill  down  to  the  old  part  of 
the  town,  which  seems  mingled  with  old  fortifications  and 
towers,  built  long  ago  by  the  Moors.  Turning,  and  follow- 
ing this  street  south,  you  enter  the  Alameda,  or  public  prom- 
enade. This  is  a  broad  gravel  walk,  shaded  by  orange  trees 
and  laurel.  It  is  ornamented  also,  at  short  intervals, 
with  handsome  marble  pillars,  surmounted  with  busts, 
and  at  each  end  by  a  marble  fountain.  On  either  side 
is  a  carriage  road,  and  elegant  mansions  front  on  both  sides  : 
one  long  range  of  these  handsome  dwellings,  was  built  by 


806  THE    ANDALIJSIANS. 


an  American,  Mr.  Loring.      A^boutfive  or  six  o'clock,  P.  M., 
all  classes  come  here  to  walk  or  drive. 

We  sav/  very  many  beautiful  donnas,  and  the  children  of 
Spain  seem  ever  beautiful.  In  no  country  have  we  found  so 
many  lovely  women  as  in  Spain.  The  black  eyes  of  the 
Italian  signoras  and  the  Turkish  dames,  are  far  excelled  by 
the  softer  ones  of  Andalusia.  And  in  no  country  have  we 
seen  the  national  characteristics  or  the  local  peculiarities  so 
marked  and  distinct  as  here.  The  costume  of  the  peasant 
is  a  velvet  chapeau,  with  round,  square,  or  conical  crowns, 
all  ornamented  with  two  large  rosettes  or  tassels ;  velvet  or 
cloth  jackets,  much  ornamented  with  braid,  and  fastened  in 
front  with  clasps  of  gold  or  silver  ;  a  bright  red  vest  and  sash  ; 
velvet  breeches,  fastened  down  the  sides  with  pretty,  bright 
metal  buttons,  thickly  set,  that  make  a  merry  jingling  as 
they  walk  ;  these,  with  handsome  leggins  of  yellow  leather 
stamped  or  embossed,  complete  the  whole.  All  classes  wear 
a  cloak  of  some  sort,  and  all  wear  it  with  a  grace  unequal- 
led in  any  other  part  of  the  world.  The  women  wear  the 
mantilla  ;  the  better  orders  have  them  trimmed  with  broad, 
rich  lace,  which  they  at  times  allow  to  fall  over  the  face. 
Always,  when  dressed  for  church  or  the  promenade,  they 
carry  a  fan  ;  even  the  beggar  that  solicits  your  alms,  peti- 
tions with  her  fan  and  mantilla.  Then,  too,  they  have  all 
such  a  noble,  graceful  carriage  ;  all  walk  well,  and  general- 
ly have  small  feet.  And  to  see  these  cumbrous  Spanish 
coaches,  drawn  by  two  sleek-bodied,  long-tailed  mules,  as 
they  wind  their  slow  length  along,  is  amusing ;  look  at  any 
old  picture  that  gives  a  representation  of  them,  and  you  will 
see  them  mirrored  there,  for  they  have  never  altered  or  im- 
proved. In  all  the  balconies  are  plants  and  flowers,  with 
cages  of  singing  birds,  mingling  their  cheerful  notes  with 
the  lively  ones  of  the  guitar,  heard  at  all  hours,  near  or 
more  distant. 


INTERIOR    OP    THE    CATHEDRAL.  30t 

Our  first  morning  was  passed  in  viewing  the  magnificent 
cathedral  rising  fi'om  the  centre  of  the  town,  and  seeming  to 
crown,  as  with  a  diadem,  the  low  buildings  around,  and  it  may 
certainly  bear  comparison  with  some  of  the  most  magnifi- 
cent in  Europe.  It  has  a  tower  at  each  side  of  its  front,  one 
of  which  is  unfinished,  but  the  other  shows  a  beautiful  style 
of  architecture,  and  is  admirably  proportioned.  Fluted  mar- 
ble columns,  with-  Corinthian  capitals,  rise  one  above  the 
other,  growing  gradually  less  to  the  summit.  The  entrance 
is  ornamented  with  rich  carving  and  statues  in  bas-relief; 
the  interior  is  equally  rich  and  beautiful,  and  at  the  same 
time  strikes  one  by  its  elegant  simplicity.  A  row  of  arches 
line  the  cathedral  all  around,  in  each  of  which  is  a  hand- 
some altar,  with  columns  of  rich  marble,  and  some  paintings. 
A  row  of  arches  extend  along  on  either  side  of  the  centre, 
enclosing  the  choir  and  the  grand  altar  ;  these  arches  are 
supported  by  four  large  fluted  columns,  united  so  as  to  form 
one  immense  pillar,  those  of  the  grand  altar  having  the  cap- 
itals and  fluting  gilt ;  and  between  these  hang  magnificent 
chandeliers  of  massive  silver,  richly  chased.  Opposite  the 
high  altar,  enclosed  by  the  same  grand  arches,  is  the  choir, 
the  entire  sides  of  which  are  lined  with  a  rich  dark  wood, 
elaborately  carved ;  over  each  seat  a  niche,  containing  a 
statue  three  feet  high,  beautifully  carved  in  the  same  dark 
wood. 

On  each  side  of  the  choir,  filling  up  one  of  the  wide  arch- 
es and  reaching  nearly  to  the  top  of  the  edifice,  is  a  superb 
organ  of  bronze  and  gilt ;  the  rich  and  harmonious  chords 
of  one  was  reverberating  through  the  immense  building  du- 
ring our  visit.  The  ceiling  is  richly  carved,  apparently  of 
stone,  but  of  this  we  could  not  be  sure  from  its  great  height : 
the  pavement  is  composed  of  alternate  blocks  of  red  and 
white  marble.  The  outside  is  equally  grand  and  imposing, 
and  we  found  on  walking  around  it,  there  were  four  small 


308  THE  ENVIRONS  OF  MALAGA. 

towers  beside  the  two  large  ones  in  front.  At  the  left  of 
the  front  is  a  splendid  building,  the  archbishop's  palace,  and 
before  this  are  two  fountains,  which  though  small  have 
a  pretty  effect.  After  this  we  returned  for  rest  and  a  lunch- 
eon, and  then  sallied  forth  again,  accompanied  by  our  kind 
and  gentlemanly  Consul.  The  streets  are  narrow  and  most 
of  them  badly  paved,  but  are  infinitely  cleaner  in  appear- 
ance than  the  generality  of  Italian  cities ;  they  are  drained 
by  sewers  under  ground,  but  from  the  frequent  openings  in 
the  pavements  issues  at  times  a  terrrible  effluvium.  We  vis- 
ited a  manufactory  of  terra  cotta  figures,  which  they  make 
here  wdth  great  taste,  giving  an  exact  representation  of  the 
costume  and  peculiarities  of  the  people  of  the  different  prov- 
inces. We  extended  our  walk  to  one  of  the  Moorish  tow- 
ers  forming  now  a  habitation,  and  situated  upon  an  eminence 
commanding  the  whole  extent  of  town  and  harbor  as  well 
as  far  out  into  the  open  sea,  where  we  could  discern  a  long 
line  of  vessels  skirting  the  horizon. 

The  environs  beyond  the  city  are  very  lovely ;  the  plain 
between  the  town  and  the  mountains  is  beautifully  cultiva- 
ted and  rich  with  vegetation  of  every  shade  of  green,  and 
the  sides  of  the  mountain  are  so  broken  and  undulating  that 
they  have  a  singular  and  striking  effect.  The  market  is 
clean  and  nice,  and  filled  with  vegetables,  green  pease,  to- 
matoes, asparagus  and  radishes  being  nearly  out  of  season, 
but  to  us  of  course  a  great  treat.  Immense  piles  of  oranges 
cover  the  ground  of  the  market-place,  and  on  these,  I  assure 
you,  we  luxuriated.  We  went  also  to  the  corn-market,  a 
square  enclosure  with  arches  around  the  sides  forming  a 
covered  way,  while  the  smoothly  paved  ground  serves  to  dis- 
play the  different  samples,  and  here  the  produce  of  the 
neighboring  country  is  bought  and  sold.  We  went  also  to 
see  a  bull-ring,  where  the  bull-fights  take  place — with  this 
we  shall  have  to  content  ourselves,  as  it  is  not  the  season 


A   BULL-RING.  309 


for  them,  nor  will  be  while  we  are  in  the  country.  They 
usually  take  place  during  the  warm  weather  not  earlier  than 
May.  The  building  itself  is  very  similar  to  the  Amphithea- 
tres of  the  ancient  Greeks  and  Romans,  but  are  built  of  wood 
instead  of  stone.  Only  such  towns  as  contain  twelve  thou- 
sand inhabitants  are  allowed  by  law  to  luxuriate  in  a  bull- 
ring.  There  is  a  large  circle  around  which  are  ranged 
tiers  of  seats  rising  one  above  the  other  and  receding  to- 
wards the  top.  In  the  area  are  screens  behind  which  the 
Matadore  can  retire  when  the  animal  turns  upon  him  ;  there 
is  the  entrance  for  the  spectators  and  the  one  through  which 
the  animals  are  brought  from  their  stalls.  We  were  shown 
the  pointed  stick  with  which  the  man  fights,  and  the  sharp 
stick  filled  with  fire -works  thrown  at  the  bull  to  enrage  and 
goad  him  on.  To  a  novice,  or  one  unused  to  them,  the 
spectacle  is  described  as  sickening  and  horrible  in  the  ex- 
treme, but  to  see  all  this  array  of  seats  filled  with  the  popu- 
lace, both  high  and  low,  that  throng  to  enjoy  the  bloody 
scene,  must  be  a  glorious  sight.  The  ring  we  visited  occu- 
pies the  ground  formerly  the  garden  of  a  convent,  the  chap- 
el of  which  has  been  converted,  the  lower  part  into  a  car- 
riage.house,  the  upper  into  a  room  for  concerts,  exhibitions, 
&c.,  while  the  cloisters  and  refectories  make  fine  baths  and 
reading-rooms.     "  To  what  base  uses  do  we  come  at  last." 

After  dinner,  Mr.  R,  came  again  for  us  to  take  a  walk  out 
of  town.  We  went  about  two  miles  into  the  country  and 
were  delighted  with  the  beauties  and  novelties  that  met  us 
at  every  step.  We  passed  fields  filled  with  a  species  of 
prickly-pear,  cultivated  chiefly  for  the  cochineal  insect  found 
upon  it,  and  made  a  source  of  great  profit  ;  though  past  the 
season,  we  succeeded  in  finding  a  few  of  the  insects,  which 
most  assuredly  in  their  ugliness  give  no  promise  of  the  beau- 
tiful dye  formed  from  them.  The  hedges  dividing  the  fields 
from  each  other  and  from  the  road,  were  of  geranium  filled 


310  GHIBELFARO. 


with  bright  scarlet  flowers  ;  other  hedges  were  of  prickly- 
pear  ;  these  form  an  almost  impenetrable  barrier  and  bear 
a  fruit  much  esteemed  by  the  natives.  On  our  way  we 
stepped  into  a  mill,  the  machinery  of  which  was  all  of  the 
most  simple  and  primitive  kind,  at  the  same  time  sufficient 
for  the  purpose.  At  length,  we  reached  a  point  where  an 
enchanting  view  broke  upon  us  ;  behind  us  were  the  moun- 
tains, "nature's  palaces,"  rising  one  above  the  other  till 
they  were  lost  in  the  blue  sky  that  was  their  canopy,  or  in 
the  soft  veil  of  haze  that  draped  their  sides.  These  were 
richly  cultivated  and  beautifully  undulating  :  each  knoll  and 
hillock,  too,  bore  its  pretty  villa  as  a  crown,  while  houses, 
purely  white,  gemmed  their  sides,  contrasting  richly  with 
the  emerald  verdure  that  crowned  every  spot  of  the  moun- 
tains from  their  towering  summits  to  their  very  foot ;  "deep- 
clad  in  the  green  sandals  of  the  freshful  Spring." 

Before  us,  at  a  little  distance,  was  the  town,  its  harbor 
filled  with  vessels  in  orderly  array  :  at  one  point  its  fine,  tall 
light-house  towering  above  the  masts ;  the  long  mole  ex- 
tending out  on  the  opposite  side,  enclosed  and  gave  shelter 
to  the  port.  The  beautiful  cathedral  seemed  distinct  and 
apart  from  all,  and  made  a  magnificent  appearance.  On 
the  heights  above,  the  fortress  of  Ghibelfaro  formed  a  pic- 
turesque feature,  retaining,  as  it  does,  sufficient  of  its  an- 
cient formation  to  show  its  Moorish  origin.  Far  as  the  eye 
could  reach,  stretched  the  trackless  and  immeasurable  main, 
its  cerulean  surface  dotted  with  many  a  snowy  sail ;  while 
the  sun,  throwing  his  departing  beams  from  behind  a  mass 
of  clouds,  made  every  thing  still  more  beautiful.  Very  near  to 
us,  but  on  lower  ground,  so  that  we  may  look  down  into  it,  was 
the  cemetery,  unlike  any  we  have  seen  in  any  country.  A 
large,  square  piece  of  ground  is  enclosed  by  Myalls  of  per- 
haps eight  or  nine  feet  in  thickness,  painted  within  and  with- 
out in  white.     On  the  inside  of  these  walls  were  four  rows 


SPANISH    CEMETERY.  811 

of  small  niches,  resembling  pigeon-holes  in  a  dove-cot ;  and 
in  these  are  placed  lengthwise  the  coffins  containing  the 
bodies  of  the  dead,  which  when  thus  filled,  are  closed  up  with 
mortar.  This  is  kept  of  the  purest  white,  and  contrasts  well 
with  the  green  sod  of  the  enclosure,  in  the  centre  of  which 
is  a  round  building,  with  a  dome,  or  spire,  and  two  wings, 
very  similar  to  the  mausoleums  of  the  sultans  at  Constanti- 
nople. This  serves  both  as  a  chapel  and  a  dead-house,  prior 
to  the  interment.  There  were  also  one  or  two  columns 
within  the  square,  and  the  v/hole  formed  one  of  the  most 
singular  objects  I  have  in  a  long  time  seen  ;  and  things 
must  be  exceedingly  curious  and  novel,  to  strike  with  much 
force  after  having  seen  so  much  that  is  strange  and  new.  I 
inquired  of  Mr.  R.  if  no  one  was  buried  in  the  ground  of  the 
enclosure.  He  said  "  Yes,  perhaps  a  few  too  poor  to  buy  a 
niche."  Ceries — I  envied  the  poor  man  his  poverty  that  al- 
lowed him  the  privilege  of  being  covered  by  the  green  sod 
of  the  valley,  and  to  have  his  grave  waved  o'er  by  the  soft 
boughs  of  the  evergreen  pine.     But  now 

"  The  night  is  stealing  on, 
And  the  day  takes  its  farewell,  like  the  last  tone 
Of  hallow'd  music  in  a  minster's  aisles, 
Heard  when  it  floats  along  the  shade  of  elms, 
In  the  still  place  of  graves." 

So  looking  our  adieux  upon  the  silent  resting-place  before 
us,  we  turned  our  faces  towards  the  city  of  the  living.  Mr. 
R.  led  us  through  orange  groves,  the  trees  of  which  are  now 
laden  with  fruit,  ripe  and  ready  to  fall,  at  the  same  time  that 
the  branches  are  filled  with  buds  just  opening  into  pretty 
white  ftowers,  and  sending  forth  an  odor  that  fills  the  air 
with  fragrance.  In  one  of  these  orchards  a  man  was  busy 
irrigating  his  field.  Trenches  are  dug  in  every  direction, 
and  by  means  of  these,  water  is  conveyed  to  all  the  trees  : 
a  little  embankment  is  raised  at  the  various   turnings,  and 


812  NATURAL    SCENERY. 

these  are  removed  and  replaced,  as  they  fill  with  water  or 
require  filling.  Oh  !  how  delightfiil  every  thing  was  ;  en- 
joying nature  in  such  a  way  is  luxury  indeed.  So  great  in- 
deed had  been  my  delight  that  though  our  walk  had  been  a 
long  one  in  addition  to  the  fatigues  of  the  day,  I  felt  not  a 
whit  weary. 

"  We  had  seen  in  the  vast  and  the  minute, 
The  unambiguous  footsteps  of  the  God 
Who  gives  its  lustre  to  an  insect's  wing, 
And  wheels  His  throne  upon  the  rolling  worlds." 


VIEW    OF    THE    TOWN.  313 


LETTER  XXXIV. 

ROYALISTS     SHOT SPANISH     REVENUE    CUTTERS SERVICE 

IN    THE    CATHEDRAL DEPARTURE    FROM    MALAGA GIB- 
RALTAR  SOLDIERS THE  GALLERIES A  DRIVE    ON    THE 

ALAMEDA. 

Cadiz,  March. 

We  had  been  in  Malaga  long  enough  to  see  all  that  was 
most  desirable,  and  in  fact  to  have  the  time  hang  somewhat 
heavy  in  expectation  of  the  arrival  of  the  steamer,  that  was 
to  bring  us  letters  and  bear  us  onward  ;  and  at  dinner  on 
Saturday  the  good  tidings  were  brought  us  that  she  was  in 
sight.  As  soon  as  she  had  anchored,  Mr.  C,  accompanied 
by  the  consul,  went  on  board  to  secure  berths,  and  see  if 
there  was  any  possibility  of  obtaining  our  letters  ;  but  as 
they  were  directed  to  Gibraltar,  they  were  enclosed  for  that 
place,  and  we  must  wait  till  our  arrival  there.  The  steamer 
brought  news  of  the  surrender  of  Alicant ;  the  chief  of  the 
insurgents  had  deserted,  but  was  taken  and  shot  by  the 
royalists.  Forty-two  of  the  insurgents  were  killed,  and  a 
Spanish  steamer  that  was  in  port  was  much  damaged  by 
the  shot.  After  their  return  we  sallied  out  together,  and  ex- 
tended our  walk  to  the  extremity  of  the  mole,  on  which  the 
light-house  stands,  whence  we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  whole 
extent  of  the  town,  and  of  the  bay  within  and  without  the 
mole  ;  we  then  descended  the  rocks  that  form  the  foundation 
of  the  warning  light;  awhile 

"  We  wandered  on  the  pebbled  beach, 

Marking  the  sunlight  of  the  evening  hour, 
And  hearkened  to  the  thoughts  the  waters  teach — 
Eternity — Eternity  and  Power  !" 
14 


814  SPANISH    HORSES. 


Mr.   R.  directed   our  attention  to   some   Spanish  revenue 
cutters  that  were  in  port,  their  foremast  raking  forward,  the 
mainmast  quite  perpendicular  ;  each  had  one  or  two  long 
booms  extending  from  the  bowsprit  far  up  above  the  topmast, 
running  transversely^  and  bearing  one  or  more  lateen  sails. 
They  sail  with  incredible  velocity,  and  can  overtake  any 
craft  whatever.     On  our  return  we  paused  at  the  other  end 
of  the  mole,  to  watch  the  embarking  of  a  company  of  soldiers 
in  various  boats  waiting  to   receive  them,  on  their  way,  I 
believe,  to  Morocco.     As  we  walked  along  the  quay,  we 
noticed  some   beautiful  Spanish  horses  apparently  for  sale, 
very  fancifully  tricked  out,  and  as  beautiful  as  Spanish  horses 
only  are.     Some  of  these  were  magnificent ;  they  have  all 
the  beauty  and  spirit  of  the  Arabian,  but  are  larger.     Sun- 
day morning  we  went  to   the  cathedral  in  hopes  to  hear 
some  good  music,  but  were  too  late.     A  priest  was  edifying 
a  pretty  full  audience   with  a  sermon  in,  I  have  no  doubt, 
very  good  Spanish  ;   but  unfortunately  not  understanding  it, 
we  could  not  benefit   by  his  good  advice.     It  was  a  novel 
sight,  such  a  multitude  of  donnas   in  their  black  mantillas 
kneeling  on  the  pavement  beneath  the  pulpit,  flirting  their 
fans  even  here.     The  dons   surrounded  them  with  a  triple 
ring,  seeming  to  stand  as  sentinels  over  them,  the  only  ap. 
pearance  of   devotion    being  their  serious  demeanor  and 
uncovered  heads.     The   ladies  remained  kneeling,  and  the 
men  in  their  standing  posture,  till  the  service  was  over.     In 
entering  any  Spanish  church,   it  is  expected  that   the  lady 
separate  herself  from  the  gentleman  who  accompanies  her — 
that  is,  not  to  enter   arm   in  arm  ;  and  though  it  is  not  re- 
quired, it  is  considered  much,  more  respectful  for  the  lady  to 
doff  her  bonnet,  as  well  aS  the  gentleman  his  hat.  The'first 
is  not  only  expected,  but  required,  in  all  Catholic  churches 
of  every  country.     Late   in  the  afternoon  the  consul  called 
for  us  to  walk  ;  and  passing  along  the  quay,  we  came  to   a 


THE    REST    OF    THE    WEARY.  815 

road  that  led  us  beyond  the  city,  to  a  pretty  enclosure  situa. 
ted  on  an  eminence  overlooking  the  port  and  the  town,  and 
in  the  midst  of  grounds  prettily  laid  out  and  ornamented  with 
flowery  shrubs,  and  a  profusion  of  geraniums,  covered  with 
bright  scarlet  flowers,  that  grow  here  in  the  greatest  luxu- 
riance. This  was  the  English  cemetery,  containing  some 
twenty  graves,  each  mound  covered  with  a  variety  of  pretty 
shells,  and  between  and  all  around  was  a  hard  smooth  pave- 
ment filled  with  pots  of  flower  plants  ;  the  entire  wall  of  the 
enclosure  was  beautifully  draped  with  vines  trained  over 
them.  A  pile  of  earth  and  an  open  chasm  told  that  "  na- 
ture's last  bed-maker,"  the  sexton,  had  been  busy  here. 
His  services  were  required  for  a  friend  of  Mr.  R.'s,  by 
whose  sick  bed  he  had  spent  many  watchful  hours  during 
our  stay,  but  who  had  the  night  before  been  gathered  by  the 
hand  of  the  reaper  death,  and  was  soon  to  be  consigned 
"  to  the  dark  vestibule  of  departed  souls,"  the  tomb.  The 
woman  who  opened  the  gate  for  us,  gathered  me  a  lovely 
bouquet  from  the  flowers  growing  in  this  small,  yet  pretty 
dwelling  of  the  stranger  dead,  most  of  whom  have  given  up 
life  far  from  their  friends  and  home.  Peace  to  their  manes. 
The  next  day,  Monday,  was  our  last ;  and  I  had  full  occu- 
pation in  making  preparations  for  our  departure,  pottering, 
as  Fanny  Kemble  says,  among  my  things,  which  I  found 
had  been  pretty  well  tumbled  by  the  various  custom-house 
officers  through  whose  hands  they  have  passed  since  they 
were  last  packed.  Mr.  R.,  notwithstanding  the  sad  duties 
in  which  he  was  at  this  time  engaged,  found  time  to  pro- 
cure and  send  me  a  large  bunch  of  orange  flowers,  with 
their  pretty  white  buds  and  lovely  green  leaves  filling  my 
room  with  fragrance  ;  a  fragrance  almost  overpowering.  We 
left  Malaga  precisely  at  nine  P.  M.,  in  company  with  a 
French  gentleman  who  had  been  our  fellow-passenger  from 
Valencia,  and  with  whom  we  had  made  a  pleasant  acquain- 


I 


316  GIBRALTAR. 


tance  after  a  week's  stay  in  the  same  hotel.  Reached  Gib- 
raltar by  four  next  morning,  but  had  to  wait  gazing  upon 
those  old  pillars  of  Hercules,  those  huge  keys  of  the  Medi- 
terranean, till  the  health-officer  came  to  us  and  gave  us  a 
free  pratique,  which  was  not  till  eight  o'clock.  Then  we 
had  all  to  stand  on  the  landing  till  the  roll  was  called,  and 
each  answered  to  his  name,  delivered  up  his  passport,  gave 
security  for  his  good  behavior,  and  received  a  permit  to 
enter  the  gates, — this  being  a  garrison,  and  in  the  hands  of 
the  English,  who  not  only  have  strict  regulations,  but  enforce 
them  ;  which  last,  however,  I  like,  much  as  I  may  tempo- 
rarily suffer  in  consequence. 

We  despatched  a  letter  and  card  by  a  messenger  to  our 
consul,  that  our  entrance  and  other  matters  might  through 
him  be  facilitated,  and  his  son  soon  came  to  our  relief,  and 
escorted  us  to  the  hotel.  This  is  a  free  port,  so  that  you 
have  no  difficulty  with  custom-house  officers  ;  but  as  our  stay 
was  only  for  the  day,  we  brought  nothing  on  shore.  The 
hotel  to  which  we  were  conducted  looked  out  upon  an  open 
square,  that  is  used  as  an  auction  mart.  The  people  from 
all  the  neighboring  Spanish  towns,  as  well  as  those  on  the 
opposite  coast  of  Africa,  come  here  to  make  purchases  of  the 
various  produce  and  manufactures  that  find  their  way  hither 
from  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  afford  a  motley  and  amusing 
scene.  Besides  the  different  Spanish  costumes  I  have  before 
described,  you  see  the  Moors  and  Arabs  habited  somewhat 
after  the  Turkish  fashion,  except  their  dress  is  better  and 
cleaner  than  is  usual  with  the  Turks.  I  have  never  seen 
more  beautiful  turbans  than  those  worn  by  these  men  ;  they 
are  so  white  and  clean,  of  the  finest  cambric,  ample  and 
well-proportioned  in  size,  with  folds  so  innumerable  and 
well  arranged.  Then  there  are  the  Barbary  Jews,  with 
their  loose  wrappers  of  woollen  stuff,  striped  with  white  and 
black,  reaching  only  to  the  knee,  and  displaying  their  naked 


ROCK    OF    GIBRALTAR.  317 

legs  and  feet  thrust  into  loose  slippers ;  their  long  beards, 
that  have  never  known  a  razor,  giving  them  the  air  of"  wise 
and  potent  signors."  and  the  reverend  look  of  age,  without 
its  years.  Women  wear  a  bright  scarlet  cloak  and  hood, 
bordered  all  around  with  a  broad  fold  of  black  velvet,  which 
contrasts  well  wdth  the  graceful  and  sombre  mantilla ;  be- 
sides these,  a  plentiful  sprinkling  of  soldiers  in  every  variety 
of  uniform  ;  the  most  conspicuous  are  the  Scotch  regiment, 
in  full  Highland  costume,  with  their  kilts  and  scarfs  of  gray 
piaid,  and  their  heavy  black  plumes  waving  and  nodding 
above  the  crowd.  With  all  this,  and  some  other  concomi- 
tants to  aid  the  ludicrous,  as  well  as  the  interesting,  you  may 
fancy  the  scene  amusing  to  any  one  gazing  upon  it  from 
a  balcony  near  at  hand.  In  the  breakfast-room  we  found 
three  American  gentlemen  occupying  one  end  of  the  table, 
and  placing  ourselves  at  the  other,  we  soon  claimed  them  as 
countrymen  ;  for  our  conversation  being  in  French,  to  suit 
our  companion,  they  had  not  recognized  us  as  hailing  from 
the  same  land.  They  were  arranging  to  go  to  Tangiers, 
and  almost  tempted  us  to  join  them ;  but  the  mode  of  con- 
veyance is  so  disagreeable,  being  in  boats  that  are  used  to 
bring  over  cattle,  and  without  any  sort  of  accommodation, 
that  the  temptation  was  not  quite  irresistible  ;  besides,  in 
returning,  we  have  to  company  with  the  cattle,  and  this  was 
a  serious  drawback.  About  noon  our  consul  with  his  lady 
called  to  see  us ;  we  had  heard  of  them  so  often,  and  so 
highly  spoken  of,  that  I  was  most  happy  to  make  their  ac- 
quaintance, and  regretted  exceedingly  that  our  short  stay 
would  not  permit  us  to  see  more  of  them,  or  receive  their 
many  and  cordially  proffered  offers  of  kindness.  Mr.  S,  pro- 
cured us  a  permit  to  ascend  the  rock,  but  at  present,  as 
workmen  are  busy  in  the  galleries,  no  person  is  admitted 
to  see  the  excavations.  At  tvt'o,  we,  accompanied  by  the 
Frenchman,  took  horses  and  ascended  to  the  signal  station, 


318  A    GARRISON    TOWN AFRICA. 

whence  you  have  an  extensive  view — it  is  said,  forty  leagues. 
We  could  distinguish  the  houses  of  the  town  of  Ceuta,  on 
the  African  coast,  very  plainly,  the  channel  here  being  very 
narrow,  only  seven  or  eight  miles ;  to  Tangiers  is  only 
sixteen  miles,  so  that  we  may  truly  say  that  we  have  seen 
Africa.  We  could  see,  too,  among  the  highlands  that  bound 
the  Afric  coast,  some  peaks  covered  with  snow.  The  cli- 
mate here  is  delightful  ;  they  have  no  ice  in  the  winter,  and 
the  whole  surface  of  the  rock  is  covered  with  verdure,  and  a 
great  variety  of  beautiful  wild-flowers.  The  keeper  of  the 
station  said  he  had  seen  that  morning  three  large  monkeys 
on  the  high  peak  that  rises  just  behind  the  signal  station  ; 
they  are  natives  here,  but  are  not  often  seen,  now  that  the 
rock  is  so  much  inhabited.  The  great  height  attained  so 
immediately  above  the  town,  gives  a  fine  insight  into  it,  and 
the  plan  of  its  fortifications;  just  above  the  town  are  the 
remains  of  an  old  Moorish  tower,  castle  and  wall,  forming 
quite  a  conspicuous  object  both  from  above  and  below.  We 
descended  by  a  different  road,  some  parts  of  which  were  so 
narrow,  and  so  near  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  that  we  dis- 
mounted, and  led  our  horses  a  long  distance.  As  we  entered 
the  town,  we  passed  the  Alameda,  where  is  the  parade- 
ground,  on  which  we  could  see  the  soldiers  going  through 
their  exercises.  I  like  a  garrison  town  ;  I  like  to  hear  the 
sound  of  the  drum,  the  notes  of  the  bugle,  the  fine  music  of 
the  band,  and  now  and  then  the  firing  of  cannon,  as  it  comes 
booming  over  the  water.  We  dismounted  at  the  house  of 
Mr.  S.,  who  had  kindly  offered  to  drive  with  us  through  the 
town.  We  found  him  reading  his  paper  in  a  comfortable 
chair  by  the  fire,  his  eldest  daughter  taking  a  lesson  at  the 
piano,  and  everything  looked  domestic,  happy,  and  cheerful, 
even  to  the  huge  St.  Bernard  dog  and  the  pretty  gazelle 
that  was  gambolling  about  the  parlor  ;  and  from  the  court- 
yard came  the  sound  of  happy  children's  voices,  that  drew 


HOMEWARD    BOUND.  319 


from  me  a  sigh  ;  but  whether  it  reached  from  this  far  dis- 
tance those  in  my  thoughts  at  the  time,  is  doubtful.  Mrs. 
S.  and  the  carriage  were  soon  in  readiness,  and  as  we  drove 
along  she  pointed  out,  as  we  passed,  the  court-house,  the 
governor's  house  and  gardens,  and  the  handsome  English 
church.  We  drove  through  the  Alameda,  but  our  time  would 
not  allow  of  our  walking  through  the  beautiful  grounds  orna- 
menting  it ;  so,  after  a  delightful  drive,  we  alighted  at  our 
hotel.  Mr.  C.  purchased  some  mementos  in  specimens  of 
this  singular  rock,  and  at  six,  P.  M.,  we  left  in  the  steamer, 
while  the  guns  of  the  fort  were  firing  a  salute  to  an  English 
frigate  just  entering  the  harbor.  We  were  soon  out  of  the 
harbor,  and  in  Calpe's  straits,  where 

"  Europe  and  Afric  on  each  other  gaze, 

Land  of  the  dark-eyed  maid  and  dusky  Moor  ;" 

and  we  turned  from  one  side  of  the  boat  to  the  other  to  look, 
now  upon  Europa  point,  and  now  upon  the  coast  of  Africa  ; 
both  of  which  seemed,  with  the  darkness  to  aid  the  decep. 
tion,  very  close.  We  had  soon  passed  the  straits,  and  found 
ourselves  gazing  upon  the  broad  Atlantic,  whose  far-ofT waves 
were  washing  the  shores  of  our  own  dear  land ;  and  as  I 
looked  upon  them,  I  felt  more  at  home,  and  as  if  we  were, 
as  we  now  are,  truly  "  homeward  bound." 


320  CADIZ. 


LETTER  XXXV. 

CADIZ- — ITS  HOUSES,  TOWEES,  BALCONIES,  WALLS,  HARBOR 
AND  SITUATION THE  CATHEDRAL EXTINCTION  OF  MON- 
ASTERIES AND   CONVENTS MURILLO  AND    HIS    PAINTINGS 

SANTA  MAKIA  AND  SIDONIA  MEDINA. 

Cadiz,  March. 

The  next  morning  after  leaving  Gibraltar,  we  found  our- 
selves at  an  early  hour  in  the  port  of  Cadiz,  and  oh !  how 
beautiful  it  looked  from  our  deck  !  The  water  is  so  very- 
blue  that  washes  the  walls  which  extend  all  around  the  city, 
and  the  sky  so  very  bright  and  clear,  that  the  dazzling  white- 
ness of  the  whole  city  seemed  more  beautiful,  if  possible, 
from  the  contrast.  All  the  houses  are  large  and  well  built  ; 
ail  have  the  appearance  of  palaces,  for  even  the  habitations 
of  the  poor  are  extensive,  affording  accommodations  to 
many  families.  The  city  is  built  on  a  point  of  land,  almost 
an  island,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Guadelquiver,  and  connected 
with  the  island  of  Leon  by  a  beautiful  beach,  or  narrow 
causeway  of  sand  ;  this  is  guarded  by  forts,  and  the  whole 
city  enclosed  by  high  walls,  a  large  portion  of  which  are 
formed  into  a  public  walk,  or  alameda,  the  top  being  paved, 
affording  a  delightful  promenade  along  the  water's  edge, 
and  from  their  great  height  a  fine  sea  view. 

Located  in  the  house  of  Donna  Antonia,  (who  had  been 
highly  recommended  to  us  by  a  friend,)  and  refreshed  by  a 
good  and  plentiful  breakfast,  Mr.  C.  walked  out  to  call  on 
the  consul,  Mr. B.,  and  deliver  his  letters.  At  two  o'clock  Mr.B. 
came  to  walk  with  us.  We  went  first  to  the  cathedral,  an 
immense  pile,  not  yet  finished  outside,  and  but  just  completed 


CADIZ BALCONIED    WINDOWS.  321 

within.  It  is  very  handsome,  particularly  the  interior  ;  but 
the  style  of  it  does  not  please  me  as  well  as  that  of  Malaga. 
It  contains  one  or  two  paintings,  by  Murillo,  and  a  few  by 
Spagnoletto — is  richly  ornamented  with  the  beautiful  mar- 
bles of  Granada,  and  has  a  handsome  pulpit  of  white  marble. 
We  next  bent  our  steps  to  the  signal  station,  and  mounted 
to  the  top,  from  whence  we  looked  down  upon  the  entire 
city.  The  houses  present  a  singular  and  unique  appearance 
at  this  point ;  none  have  what  we  call  yards,  but  are  built 
around  a  square  court,  sometimes  closed  at  the  top,  at 
others  left  open  to  the  rains  and  winds  of  heaven.  Some  of 
the  houses  join  others  in  the  rear,  but  most  of  them  extend 
from  one  street  to  the  other.  Every  house,  too,  has  a  tall 
tower  or  look-out  ;  these,  in  the  palmy  days  of  Cadiz,  as 
well  as  of  Spain,  served  the  merchant-princes  of  this  pros- 
perous city  as  observatories,  from  whence  they  could  watch 
the  return  of  the  ships,  whose  precious  freights  were  to  add 
to  their  golden  stores.  The  tops  of  the  towers  are  indented 
or  turreted  ;  the  roofs  are  terraced,  and  serve  as  gardens, 
enclosed  by  a  fanciful  balustrade,  ornamented  at  intervals  by 
huge  vases,  in  which  grow  the  cactus,  aloe,  and  other 
plants.  These,  with  the  stacks  of  chimneys,  viewed  ensem- 
ble from  a  height  like  that  of  the  signal-tower,  have  a  curi- 
ous and  novel  effect.  There  are  balconies  to  every  win- 
dow, shaded  in  summer  by  awnings,  where  the  ladies  may 
sit  seeing  all,  themselves  unseen  ;  some  of  the  balconies  are 
filled  with  flowers  and  plants,  and,  with  the  painted  jalou- 
sies, afford  the  only  green  thing  that  the  eye  lights  on  ;  for, 
as  I  told  you  before,  Cadiz  is  built  on  sand — a  soil  calcu- 
lated only  to  grow  houses.  Besides  the  balconies,  most  of 
the  houses  have  a  projection  in  front,  shut  in  with  glass, 
where  the  inmates  may  sit  when  the  weather  is  too  cool  to 
sit  in  the  open  air.  The  whole  city  being  so  purely  white 
gives  it  a  beautiful  appearance,  and  Washington   Irving, 

14* 


322  A    SPANISH    FATHER. 

when  speaking  of  it,  likened  it  to  a  "  silver  cup" — but  when 
seen  from  the  water,  as  on  our  arrival,  it  seemed  to  me  like 
a  pearly  shell  which  the  waves  had  bleached  and  cast  up- 
on the  yellovi^  sands,  with  which  it  contrasts  so  beautifully. 
Cadiz  is  dependent  on  the  neighboring  country,  not  only 
for  meat  and  vegetables,  but  even  for  the  water  drank  by 
its  inhabitants  ;  but  having  a  water-conveyance  that  never 
fails  them,  there  is  no  deficiency,  nor  are  things  dear.  Every- 
thing is  more  plentiful  and  less  costly  than  in  many  parts  of 
the  interior,  where  mules  and  donkeys  are  the  only  means 
of  transportation.     The  streets  are  all  narrow;  in  the  old 
or  Moorish  quarter  they  are  most  so,  and  very  crooked  ;  but 
in  the  more  modern  part  of  the  city  they  are  more  straight 
and  wide.     There  is  on  the  sides,  and  through  the  middle  of 
each  street,   a   row  of  smooth    paving-stones,    only    wide 
enough  for  one  to  walk,  so  that  single  file  is  the  order  of 
march.     In  the  true  Spanish  style,  the  ladies  all  walk  one 
after  the  other,  the  old  don  marching  in  the  rear,  to  see  that 
all  goes  straight  before  him.     We  met  a  gentleman  with 
his  wife  and  daughter  walking  in  this  fashion  ;  the  daughter 
was  the  most  beautiful  creature  methinks  I  ever  met ;    but 
the  father,  as  if  to  repel  any  passing  glance  of  admiration, 
looked  as  grim  as  a  dragon,  and  reminded  me  of  the  words : 
"  Ay,  Pedro  !  come  you  here  with  mask  and  lantern, 
Ladder  of  ropes,  and  other  moonshine  tools  ? 
Why,  youngster,  thou  may'st  cheat  the  old  duenna, 
Flatter  the  waiting-woman,  bribe  the  valet; 
But  know  that  I,  her  father,  play  the  gryphon — 
Tameless  and  sleepless,  proof  to  fraud  or  bribe — 
And  guard  the  hidden  treasure  of  her  beauty." 

Our  consul  showed  us  the  market-place,  a  fine  large 
square,  beautifully  paved  and  very  clean  ;  all  four  sides  hav- 
ing a  raised  covered  walk  lined  with  arches.  We  visited 
also  an  old  monastery,  which  had  been  converted  into  a 
work-house  for  vagrant  boys.      The  object  of  our  visit  was 


CADIZ A    STROLL    ON    THE    RAMPARTS.  323 

a  fine  painting,  by  Murillo,  in  the  chapel.  It  is  said  to  be 
the  last  of  his  works,  he  having,  soon  after  its  completion, 
fallen  from  a  scaffold,  receiving  injuries  that  subsequently 
caused  his  death.  The  subject  was  the  marriage  of  St.  Ca- 
therine :  there  were  two  others,  but  none  so  good  as  some 
of  his  that  we  have  seen  out  of  Spain ;  there  was  a  Virgin 
in  glory,  that  pleased  me  much  more. 

The  next  day  at  sunset  we  strolled  out  on  the  ramparts  : 
there  were  very  few  walking ;  but  we  had  the  good  fortune 
to  meet  the  consul,  who  joined  us  and  led  us  outside  the 
"vvalls,  passing  through  a  massive  gateway  and  two  portcul- 
lises at  a  short  distance  from  each  other.  Cadiz  is  well  and 
strongly  fortified  ;  its  walls  are  high,  of  great  thickness,  and 
in  perfect  order.  The  consul  said  the  ground  beneath  us 
for  a  great  distance  was  mined.  Outside  of  all  this  is  a 
plain  called  the  glacis  ;  here  we  paused  to  see  the  soldiers 
go  through  their  evening  exercise,  and  were  highly  amused 
at  the  blunders  of  some  raw  recruits  taking  their  first  lesson. 
Directly  in  front  of  us  was  the  causeway  or  beach  of  sand, 
which  connects  the  point  of  land  on  which  the  city  is  built 
to  the  Island  of  Leon.  The  road  is  very  straight  and 
smooth,  with  nothing  to  obstruct  the  view  till  it  rests  on 
Fort  Sebastian,  three  miles  distant.  From  one  point  here 
we  had  a  good  view  of  the  bay,  with  the  towns  of  Santa 
Maria  and  Rosa  ;  rising  behind  these  was  a  conical  hill,  on 
which  was  the  town  of  Sidonia  Medina,  very  ancient,  built 
by  the  Phoenicians,  and  called  by  them  Sidon  ;  the  name 
Medina  was  added  by  the  Moors  when  they  conquered  it. 
Here  was  confined  and  murdered  the  unfortunate  Blanche, 
wife  of  Peter  the  Cruel.  At  sunset  the  gates  are  closed — 
so  we  took  care  not  to  give  the  governor  of  the  city  any 
trouble  on  our  account  by  gazing  so  long  on  the  beautiful 
scene  before  us  as  to  be  locked  out ;  an  appeal  to  him  being 
the  only  remedy  in  such  a  case. 


324  CONVENTS    AND    NUNS CADIZ. 

The  convents  here  seem  innumerable  ;  many  of  them  are 
still  occupied,  the  nuns  being  allowed  to  spend  their  days 
in  them,  though  none  are  now  permitted  to  become  nuns. 
The  convents  and  monasteries  throughout  Spain  have  been 
all  suppressed,  their  property  confiscated,  and  the  monks 
and  priests  turned  on  the  wide  world  to  starve  and  die.  The 
monasteries  have  all  been  converted  to  other  purposes  :  the 
garden  of  one  of  these  now  makes  a  beautiful  public  square. 
But  the  convents  present  a  deserted  and  saddened  aspect : 
from  their  property  being  taken  from  the  nuns  they  were  de- 
prived of  their  means  of  support,  and  most  of  them  have  re- 
turned again  to  their  friends ;  those  who  remain  are  sup- 
ported by  the  contributions  of  the  citizens.  When  a 
daughter  chose  the  convent  instead  of  marrying,  she  took 
with  her  as  a  means  of  support  the  same  fortune  that  would 
have  been  her  dowry  if  she  had  married ;  so  that  the  prop- 
erty thus  confiscated  and  taken  by  the  government,  under 
Ferdinand  VII.  and  Espartero,  w^as  private  and  individual 
property.  One  cannot  but  sympathise  with  the  fate  of  these 
poor  nuns,  however  much  we  abhor  their  delusion. 
"  The  sacred  tapers'  lights  are  gone, 

Gray  moss  has  clad  the  altar-stone, 

The  holy  image  is  o'erthrown, 
The  bell  has  ceased  to  toll  : 

The  long-ribbed  aisles  are  burst  and  shrunk, 

The  holy  shrines  to  ruin  sunk. 

Departed  is  the  pious  monk — 
God's  blessing  on  his  soul  I" 

We  left  Cadiz  at  nine  in  the  morning,  after  a  stay  of  three 
days  and  a  half,  and  took  our  last  view  (as  our  first)  of  the 
beautiful  city  from  the  waters  of  its  lovely  bay.  In  a  short 
time  we  were  breasting  the  waves  of  the  broad  Atlantic ; 
our  little  steamer  performed  her  duty  well,  and  we  were 
soon  in  the  Guadalquiver,  having  the  current  with  us.  Here, 
too,  we  made  rapid  progress  ;  made  but  one  stoppage,  at  the 


SEVILLE ORANGE    GROVES.  325 

little  town  of  San  Lucca,  where  we  took  in  a  number  of  pas- 
sengers, among  them  was  a  pretty  Senorita.  The  river 
is  very  serpentine  all  the  way  to  Seville  ;  the  land  on  either 
side,  nearly  the  whole  distance,  is  perfectly  flat,  unvaried,  and 
uninteresting.  These  flats,  however,  afibrd  good  pasturage 
for  immense  herds  of  horses  and  black  cattle,  as  well  as 
numerous  flocks  of  sheep  with  long  white  wool. 

As  we  approached  the  city,  the  beautiful  and  extensive 
groves  of  orange  and  lemon  trees,  laden  with  fruit,  formed 
an  agreeable  contrast  to  the  flat  and  sterile-looking  country 
through  which  we  had  been  all  day  sailing.  On  either  side 
of  the  river,  here,  were  many  aroas,  at  short  intervals,  for 
irrigating  the  land,  and  the  country  is  rich,  verdant  and 
beautiful. 

At  four  o'clock,  proud  Seville's  towers  rose  up  before  us, 
and  we  were  in  a  short  time  in  comfortable  quarters  at  the 
Locanda  of  Donna  Louise,  where  our  French  companion 
had  secured  us  rooms. 


326  "the  light  fantastic  toe. 


LETTER  XXXVI. 

SPANISH  DANCES CATHEDRAL  GIRALDA MOORISH  PALACE 

THE    LONJA MURILLO'S    PICTURES. 

Seville,  March. 

On  our  passage  from  Cadiz  to  Seville,  Mr.  C.  was  inform- 
ed by  an  Englishman,  that  they  could,  by  a  sufficient  remu- 
neration, see  the  different  Spanish  dances  performed.  The 
Englishman  had  but  little  time  to  stay,  and  was  bent  upon 
seeing  these,  if  he  saw  nought  else.  So  Mr.  C.  gladly 
united  with  him ;  the  Englishman  undertaking  the  necessary 
arrangements  for  the  exhibition,  the  evening  of  our  arrival. 
I  was  so  excessively  fatigued,  that  I  could  not  be  induced 
to  leave  the  house  ;  so  Mr.  C.  went  without  me,  and  re- 
turned  highly  gratified  himself,  though  well  pleased  that  I 
had  not  been  present,  as  many  of  the  dances  were  of  a  na- 
ture ill-calculated  for  the  presence  of  a  lady,  especially  of  a 
prudish  American.  There  were  in  all,  he  said,  about  fifty 
dancers,  each  with  a  pair  of  castanets ;  they  were  dressed 
in  a  variety  of  costumes,  and  performed  the  numerous  na- 
tional  dances,  all  expressive  of  character  and  sentiment,  in- 
teresting and  amusing,  if  not  intelligible  to  the  beholder. 
Some  of  the  dances  permitted  the  whole  number  to  perform 
together,  and  then  the  clatter  of  the  castanets  was  almost 
deafening.  The  room  was  of  good  size,  and  the  spectators 
such  as  had  collected  from  the  immediate  neighborhood, 
though  the  house  was  supported  for  the  time  being  by  Mr. 
C.and  the  Englishman,  the  whole  proceeds  being,  I  believe, 
about  six  dollars. 

The  next  morning  we  sallied  forth  to  see  some  of  the 


CATHEDRAL    OF    SEVILLE.  327 

lions  of  Seville,  the  cathedral — the  Giralda,  and  the  Moorish 
palace — all  exceedingly  beautiful.  The  cathedral  is  an  im- 
mense pile,  one  of  the  largest  in  the  world  ;  its  roof  is  sur- 
mounted with  innumerable  towers,  round,  square,  and  spiral, 
tall  and  short,  all  beautifully  ornamented  with  rich  carving 
and  tracery  work,  in  marble  that  was  once  white,  but  is 
now  covered  with  moss  and  mould.  All  its  numerous  en- 
trances are  ornamented  with  elaborate  carving,  and  fine 
baso- relievo.  Attached  to  the  church  is  an  enclosure,  sur- 
rounded by  a  kind  of  cloister,  with  a  colonnade  and  arches 
all  around.  The  enclosure  is  filled  with  fine  orange-trees 
and  greensward,  with  stone  crossings  to  walk  on.  The 
edifice  is  four  hundred  and  thirty-one  feet  long,  and  three 
hundred  and  fifteen  feet  wide  ;  it  is  in  the  Gothic  style,  and 
stands  on  the  site  of  an  ancient  Moorish  mosque.  It  has 
five  naves  and  sixty-six  altars,  enclosed  in  chapels,  each  of 
which  are  as  large  as  a  small  church.  There  are  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  silver  lamps  suspended,  and  two  magnifi- 
cent organs,  with  five  thousand  stops  ;  these  last  are  pro- 
fusely ornamented  with  the  most  beautiful  carving  in  wood, 
of  statues,  flowers,  and  a  variety  of  other  ornaments.  The 
grand  altar  is  ornamented  in  the  same  manner,  with  carved 
wood  ;  richly  gilt  gratings  enclose  it,  and  some  of  the  larger 
chapels,  extending  from  the  pavement  to  the  vault  above. 
The  naves  are  supported  by  thirty-two  pillars,  each  of  which 
are  thirteen  feet  in  circumference.  Numerous  paintings 
and  statues  adorn  the  chapels,  and  every  variety  of  orna- 
ment seemed  scattered  throughout.  The  campanile  of  the 
cathedral  is  three  hundred  feet  high,  the  whole  of  its  ex- 
terior covered  with  a  small  mosaic  work,  giving  it  a  de- 
cidedly Moorish  aspect.  It  is  called  the  Tower  de  Giralda  ; 
we  ascended  only  as  far  as  the  belfry,  where  we  counted 
twenty-five  bells,  each  named  after  some  male  or  female 
saint.     The  view  from  this  height  is  commanding  and  beau- 


328  SEVILLE— MOORISH    PALACE. 

tiful  in  the  extreme  ;  we  could  here  overlook  the  whole 
city  and  its  lovely  environs  ;  could  distinguish  the  most  re- 
markable edifices,  and  trace  the  walls  of  the  city,  and  could  see 
the  pretty  courts  and  fountains  which  are  attached  to  almost 
every  house.  From  the  cathedral  we  went  to  the  Alcazar, 
the  ancient  palace  of  the  Moorish  kings.  This  was  like  a 
fairy  palace,  and  seemed  to  be  the  realization  of  the  Ara- 
bian Nights,  and  other  eastern  stories.  The  carving  that 
ornaments  the  ceilings,  the  top  of  the  walls,  arches,  door- 
ways and  windows,  was  so  exquisitely  fine,  that  it  seemed 
more  the  work  of  some  industrious  little  insect,  than  of  the 
hand  of  man,  and  of  men,  too,  whom  some  are  used  to  deem 
almost  barbarians.  We  have  seen  nothing  similar  to  it, 
unless  it  be  the  fountains  of  Stamboul,  nor  can  I  think  of 
anything  so  delicately  fine,  except  the  ivory  carving  of  the 
Chinese.  About  four  feet  from  the  floor,  running  round  the 
different  rooms,  was  a  mosaic  work  of  tiles,  every  side  dif- 
ferent, and  it  seemed  to  be  the  study  throughout  to  have  as 
great  a  variety  in  form  and  color  as  possible.  The  ceilings 
were  exceedingly  rich  and  curious,  sometimes  of  carved 
wood-work,  left  in  its  natural  color,  sometimes  divided  into 
small  compartments,  beautifully  painted  and  gilt,  showing  a 
great  variety  of  patterns,  as  brilliant  and  varied,  indeed, 
as  those  seen  through  a  kaleidoscope.  Over  some  of  the 
entrances  to  the  apartments  were  lattices  of  white  marble, 
to  admit  light  and  air,  and  these  were  carved  in  patterns 
the  most  beautiful  as  well  as  delicate.  There  were  very 
many  little  courts  in  different  parts  of  the  palace,  with  foun- 
tains in  the  centre,  some  of  them  dried  up  and  blackened, 
others  with  standing  pools  of  brackish-looking  water.  Work- 
men are  now  busy  with  their  renovations  and  restoratives, 
viyng,  in  my  opinion,  not  with  the  departing  glories  of  the 
Moors'  handiwork,  but  almost  with  that  of  the  despoiler. 
The  gardens  of  the  Alcazar  are  most  lovely ;  they  are  filled 


GARDENS    OF    "THE    ALCAZAR."  329 

with  fountains  and  reservoirs  of  water,  hedges  of  box  or 
myrtle,  cut  into  all  sorts  of  fantastic  forms,  a  variety  of  flow- 
ers  and  sweet  shrubs,  numerous  grottos  and  cool  retreats, 
in  the  form  of  temples  and  pagoda-like  buildings,  with  gra- 
vel-walks and  verdant  terraces;  and  enclosing  the  whole  is 
a  high  wall,  brilliant  with  modern  frescoes,  and  one  is  al- 
most  tempted  to  believe  themselves  dreaming  in  some  lovely 
Arcadia.  Leaving  this,  we  bent  our  steps  homeward,  tak- 
ing on  our  way,  the  Lonja,  or  exchange,  a  modern  edifice, 
but  very  handsome,  and  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  a  very  ancient 
structure,  looking  so  old  and  quaint,  and  so  decidedly  Spa- 
nish, and  seeming  fairly  weighed  down  and  overloaded  with 
the  profusion  of  carving  lavished  upon  it,  that  I  fancied  the 
wealth  within  it  had  run  over,  and  I  felt  well  disposed  to 
hold  up  my  dress  to  catch  the  riches  seeming  ready  to  fall. 
Around  very  many  of  the  public  buildings  you  may  see  nu- 
merous columns  of  a  very  antique  appearance,  and  of  every 
size  and  height.  These  have  been  brought  from  an  ancient 
city  (Italica,)  near  Seville,  said  to  have  been  the  birth-place 
of  Trajan,  and  the  two  Senecas.  We  visited  the  cathedral 
here  on  Sunday  ;  there  was  service  being  performed  in  dif- 
ferent chapels,  and  the  pavement  was  so  filled  with  the  many 
different  kneeling  donnas,  and  men  standing  around  them, 
that  it  was  difficult  making  our  way  through  them.  We 
succeeded  in  finding  the  splendid  picture  of  Murillo's  guar- 
dian angel,  and  then  leaving  the  cathedral  went  to  an  old 
convent,  now  a  museum,  but  retaining  enough  of  its  former 
splendor  and  ornament,  to  give  it  the  air  of  a  palace  rather 
than  a  dwelling  of  plain,  pious,  and  austere  monks,  such  as 
doubtless  those  of  Spain  were  not.  Here  we  found  a  num- 
ber of  Murillo's  paintings,  collected  from  many  different 
monasteries.  They  were  sadly  defaced  by  time,  and  still 
more  by  neglect  and  ill-treatment,  but  they  are  jet  beauti- 
ful in  spite  of  the  mildew  of  time  and  weather.     Three  of 


330  MURILLO A    PAINTING    OF    DEATH. 

these  were  exceedingly  beautiful  ;  one  in  particular,  repre- 
senting a  monk  or  bishop  distributing  alms,  in  that  style  in 
which  Murillo  is  so  happy,  for  with  beggars  he  seemed  per- 
fectly at  home.  In  the  chapel,  is  one  representing  a  dead 
body,  the  flesh  putrifying,  and  the  worms  that  destroy  the 
body  after  death,  were  lazily  mumbling  the  flesh  of  the  dead ; 
and  so  horribly  natural  is  it  depicted,  that  it  is  said  when 
the  pupil  called  his  master  to  view  his  work,  he  no  sooner 
cast  his  eye  upon  it,  than  he  put  his  handkerchief  to  his  face, 
and  turned  quickly  away,  saying,  "pah!  how  it  stinks." 
The  pretty  court  of  the  monastery  was  quite  refreshing  after 
this;  in  the  centre  of  it  was  a  beautiful  fountain,  and  around 
it  were  planted  willows,  whose  long  branches  laved  them- 
selves in  its  limpid  waters,  or  on  the  other  side  kissed  the 
pouting  lips  of  a  profusion  of  roses,  that  blushed  in  wild  lux- 
uriance around. 


HOUSES    OF    SEVILLE.  331 


LETTER  XXXVII. 

THE    STANDISH    GALLERY A  BLIND    MUSICIAN ROYAL    TO- 
BACCO    MANUFACTORY      OF     SEVILLE MURILLo's     CHEF- 

d'cEUVRE     of     la     CARIDAD THE     MOUNTAIN    BRIGANDS 

OF    SPAIN. 

Seville. 
The  locanda  we  are  now  in  was  formerly  occupied  by  an 
Englishman,  Colonel  Standish,  who  formed  quite  a  collec- 
tion of  drawings  and  paintings,  now  in  the  Louvre,  at  Paris, 
and  known  as  the  Standish  Gallery.  He  had  offered  them 
to  his  own  government,  on  condition  that  a  title  to  which  he 
laid  claim  should  be  bestowed  upon  him  ;  but  the  British 
peers  scorned  to  have  their  nobility  bribed,  and  refused  ;  so 
in  a  fit  of  pique,  they  were  willed  to  and  are  enjoyed  by  the 
French  king,  Louis  Philippe.  The  house,  like  the  gener- 
ality of  houses  in  Seville,  is  built  round  an  open  square,  with 
an  open  colonnade  running  round  the  square.  The  rooms 
on  the  ground  floor  are  occupied  in  summer,  as  the  coolest 
and  most  agreeable  during  the  warm  weather.  The  corri- 
dor of  the  story  above  is  arched,  supported  by  columns  of 
marble,  and  guarded  by  a  balustrade  of  the  same  ;  this,  in 
winter,  is  closed  with  glass.  In  the  centre  of  the  court  is  a 
fountain,  and  the  cool,  gushing  sound,  is  delightful.  Around 
it  are  plants  and  shrubs,  with  odoriferous  flowers,  and  the 
almond  tree,  now  full  of  bright  pink  blossoms,  like  our  peach 
trees  in  April.  At  dinner,  an  old  blind  man  is  led  in  by  a 
little  girl,  and  regales  us  with  the  music  of  the  guitar,  ac- 
companied by  his  really  fine  voice,  and  his  manner  of  play- 
ing the  guitar  exceeds  any  thing  I  have  ever  heard.     I  never 


332  SPANISH    CIGARS. 


knew  before  of  what  the  instrument  was  capable,  but  thought 
it  only  calculated  for  serenades  and  roundelays. 

Through  the  kindness  of  an  influential  Spanish  gentleman, 
to  whom  we  had  a  letter  of  introduction,  we  obtained  a  per- 
mit to  visit  the  royal  manufactory  of  tobacco ;  so  early  on 
Monday  morning  we  set  forth.  Our  way  lay  through  the 
new  Alameda,  or  public  walk,  called  the  Christina.  It  re- 
sembles a  handsome  garden,  laid  out  in  pretty  walks,  plant- 
ed with  orange  trees  laden  with  fruit  and  their  sweet-smell- 
ing flowers,  and  with  a  profusion  of  roses,  and  a  shrub  filled 
with  golden  blossoms.  There  is  also  a  tree  very  common 
here,  so  full  of  a  deep  pink  blossom,  that  they  seem  among 
the  others  like  a  rosy  cloud ;  gushing  fountains  are  plenti- 
fully scattered  throughout,  with  here  and  there  a  temple,  and 
seats  for  the  contemplative  or  weary.  On  one  side  of  the 
garden  runs  the  Guadalquiver,  and  a  fine  promenade,  shaded 
with  trees,  along  the  river  bank,  from  which  is  seen  a  por- 
tion of  the  city,  and  a  fine  bridge  of  boats.  Fronting  on  the 
garden  is  the  Marine  College,  a  large,  plain  building,  but 
having  one  of  the  most  magnificent  portals  I  have  ever  seen, 
so  elaborately  ornamented  is  it  with  rich,  heavy  carving, 
pillars,  and  bas-relief. 

From  this  we  made  our  way  to  the  tobacco  manufactory. 
Here  are  mills,  with  mules  turning  them,  to  cut  the  tobac- 
co for  smoking,  and  grinding  it  into  snuffl  On  the  ground 
floor  were  large  rooms,  filled  with  immense  ropes  or  cables 
of  tobacco,  in  a  state  of  fermentation,  which  is  a  part  of  the 
process  ;  and  above  they  were  forming  these  rolls  or  ropes 
of  the  wet  leaves.  In  one  immense  saloon  were  two  thou- 
sand six  hundred  women  and  girls  rolling  the  leaves  into 
cigars ;  in  another  they  were  weighing  the  tobacco  for 
smoking,  and  putting  it  up  in  packages.  Those  who  make 
the  cigars  get  two  and  a  half  cents  a  day ;  the  others  get 
three  cents  for  a  hundred  packages.     This  gives  constant 


TOBACCO    FACTORY    OP   ANDALUSIA.  333 

employment  to  about  three  thousand  females,  which  is  an 
admirable  thing  in  a  country  where  nearly  all  the  men  are 
soldiers,  either  for  government  or  on  their  own  account. 
We  ascended  to  the  roof  of  the  building,  where  we  got  an 
idea  of  its  immense  extent ;  there  were  twenty-eight  large 
courts,  with  even  paved  streets  running  between  some  of 
the  departments,  for  the  mules  to  come  and  receive  or  dis- 
charge their  loads  ;  and  the  edifice  is  not  only  large,  but 
handsome.  The  roof  is  flat,  and  of  fine  large  smooth  stone, 
affording  a  beautiful  terrace  to  walk  on,  and  a  fine  view  of 
the  city  and  country  surrounding.  Descending,  we  again 
passed  through  the  saloon  full  of  women  folk  ;  and  to  have 
any  idea  of  the  hubbub  and  clatter  of  human  voices,  you 
must  have,  been  present  in  the  confusion  of  tongues  at  the 
Babylonish  tower:  eager  looks  and  glances  of  curiosity 
were  not  a  few,  I  can  assure  you,  from  this  myriad  of  Span- 
ish eyes.  The  monopoly  of  this  factory  for  Andalusia  alone, 
was  sold  a  few  days  ago  at  Madrid  for  about  five  millions 
and  a  half  of  dollars  per  annum. 

On  our  return,  we  passed  through  a  fine  gateway,  the 
jporto  de  Regina ;  and  went  in  an  opposite  direction  to  visit 
Signer  Brano's  collection  of  paintings,  some  four  hundred  in 
number,  among  which  are  many  of  Murillo's  and  those  of 
other  masters.  His  rooms  are,  however,  small,  and  badly 
lighted  :  the  pictures  were  not  well  placed,  nor  seen  to  ad- 
vantage. 

The  last  day  of  our  stay  here  opened  with  what  seemed  a 
decidedly  hopeless  ram,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  to  a  day 
within  doors,  devoted  to  packing  and  final  preparations.  Mr. 
C,  however,  could  not  rest  content,  without  seeing  the  pic- 
tures in  the  Caritad  and  the  bridge  of  boats  ;  so  he  sallied 
out  alone,  and,  in  spite  of  the  pouring  floods,  made  his  way 
to  this  hospital,  once  a  monastery,  where,  it  is  said,  Murillo 
was  at  one  time  confined,  during  which  the  monks  kept  him 


334  MURiLLo's  chef-d'ceuvre. 

constantly  at  work  painting  for  their  chapel ;  where  a  few 
of  the  best — indeed,  his  masterpieces — -have  been  suffered 
to  remain.  Mr.  C.  was  so  delighted  that  he  came  back  for 
me,  and  the  sun  unexpectedly  showing  his  face,  afforded  me 
an  opportunity  of  which  I  gladly  availed  myself. 

One  of  these  pictures  is  called  his  chef-cFoeiivre  :  the 
subject  is  Moses  striking  the  Rock  and  causing  the  waters 
to  flow,  and  the  thirsty  Israelites  are  eagerly  quenching  their 
thirst  at  the  gushing  stream.  There  certainly  could  not  be 
a  subject  affording  richer  material  for  a  painter  than  this, 
with  the  splendid  oriental  costume  of  the  men,  and  the  vo- 
luptuous and  graceful  flow  of  the  dresses  of  the  women  ;  the 
eager  and  intense  expression  excited  by  their  burning  thirst, 
depicted  even  in  the  countenances  of  the  camels  and  asses 
that  form  so  picturesque  a  portion  of  the  group,  and  the  va- 
rious and  antique  forms  of  the  drinking  vessels  displayed  upon 
the  occasion.  The  picture  is  of  immense  size,  and  has  a 
pendant  to  it,  illustrating  the  miracle  of  the  loaves  and  fishes, 
and  though  very  beautiful,  it  is  excelled,  in  my  opinion,  by  the 
first ;  which  is  one  of  the  few  calculated  to  rest  in  the  me- 
mory for  ever,  and  to  rise  before  the  mind's  eye  with  all  the 
vividness  and  freshness  of  its  actual  presence  :  methinks  I 
shall  never  recall  it,  without  seeing  the  sparkling  of  the  wa- 
ter, and  hearing  the  gushing  sound  as  it  burst  from  its  rocky 
bondage. 

We  did  not  venture  out  of  our  road  for  other  sights,  but 
the  Exchange  being  on  our  way,  we  entered  it  and  ascend- 
ed its  noble  staircase  to  the  halls,  where  are  kept  the 
city's  records  of  many  centuries,  as  well  as  manuscripts 
and  other  valuable  papers,  and  where  our  countrymen, 
Irving  and  Prescott,  found  ample  references  to  assist  them 
in  their  works.  These  halls  are  wide  and  lofty,  and  ex- 
tend round  the  four  sides  of  a  court.     Some  small  rooms 


MOUNTAIN    BRIGANDS,  335 

contain  portraits  of  Ferdinand  VII.,  Hernando  Cortez,  and 
others. 

I  have  forgotten  to  mention  to  you,  that  when  Mr.  C.  and 
the  Frenchman  Avent,  soon  after  our  arrival  here,  to  the  of- 
fice of  the  diligencia,  to  secure  our  places  for  Madrid,  they 
received  the  comfortable  and  comforting  information  that  the 
last  diligencia  that  had  arrived  from  Madrid,  three  days  be- 
fore, had  been  stopped  and  plundered  by  the  brigands  of  the 
mountains.  These  same  robbers,  by  the  by,  are  supposed 
to  be  the  peasantry,  who,  "  far  from  the  busy  haunts  of  men," 
till  the  ground  and  lead  the  very  innocent  life  of  farmers  du- 
ring the  day,  but  at  night  make  a  descent  from  their  seclu- 
ded domiciles  in  the  mountains,  and  spoil  the  traveller  who 
unwarily  trusts  himself  to  a  diligencia.  They  bring  with 
them  mules,  and  come  in  numbers  ;  so  that  in  an  incredible 
short  time  they  unload  the  vehicle,  relieve  the  inmates  of 
any  unnecessary  incumbrances  they  may  have  about  them, 
load  their  mules,  and  flee  again  to  the  passes  of  the  moun- 
tains. There  were  live  gentlemen  in  the  interior  of  this, 
among  them  a  French  marquis  and  an  American  ;  the  mar- 
quis saved  his  watch  and  a  valuable  diamond  ring,  by  cut- 
ting the  lining  of  his  coat  and  slipping  them  in,  before  his 
turn  came  to  be  searched ;  the  American  lost  everything, 
even  to  his  books,  letters,  and  papers.  There  was  but  one 
lady,  and  her  they  treated  with  great  gallantry ;  only  de- 
manding her  purse,  without  causing  her  to  descend  fi-om  her 
seat. 

After  giving  me  this  intelligence,  Mr.  C.  says  :  "  And 
now  what  shall  we  do  ?  For  my  part,  I  have  a  great  mind 
to  return  by  the  same  track  we  came."  But  I  do  not  like 
retrograding  in  any  way,  nor  going  over  old  ground  when 
there  is  a  new  way  open  before  me  ;  so  I  asked  what  the 
Frenchman  thought,  and  what  he  was  in  favor  of  doing. 
Oh  !  he  says,  he  is  on  business,  and  must  go  on  ;  and  he 


336  BRIGANDS    OF    SPAIN. 


thinks,  as  the  last  diligence  was  robbed,  they  will  let  the 
next  pass  free,  not  daring  to  stop  two  in  succession.  I  was 
decidedly  of  this  opinion,  and  told  him  to  have  no  fears  on 
my  account,  for  I  thought  we  could  never  go  more  safely  : 
so  we  decided  to  go  on,  though  you  will  not  doubt  that  the 
intelligence  made  necessary  some  small  changes  in  my  usu- 
al packing  arrangements,  some  of  them  amusing  enough,  I 
can  assure  you  I  had  a  pretty  valuable  cargo  aboard  of  me, 
and  told  Mr.  C.  I  had  made  of  myself  a  very  dear  wife,  and 
well  worth  his  coming  after,  in  case  the  robbers  took  me 
away  bodily.  This  last  does  sometimes  happen,  let  me  tell 
you,  and  did  happen  a  few  years  since  to  one  of  our  coun- 
trymen. He  was  carried  ofi^  to  the  mountains,  and  obliged 
to  send  a  draft  on  his  bankers,  at  Madrid,  for  a  good  round 
sum.  The  messenger  who  was  despatched,  returned  with 
the  tale,  perhaps  not  an  over  true  one,  that  he  had  been 
plundered  of  the  ransom  money,  and  another  draft  was  sent 
and  answered  ;  but  the  detention  had  been  such  as  to  cause, 
with  the  exposure  and  privations,  serious  injury  to  the  gen- 
tleman's health,  from  which  he  never  recovered. 

In  the  evening  we  had  a  call  from  the  Spanish  gentleman 
to  whom  we  had  brought  letters  ;  he  remained  two  or  three 
hours,  talking  constantly,  and  in  very  good  English,  which 
he  had  acquired  in  his.  youth  in  London.  He  gave  us  a 
great  deal  of  interesting  information  about  the  religion  of 
the  country,  the  suppression  of  the  convents,  of  the  govern- 
ment, the  causes  of  discontent,  and  other  affairs  ;  told  us  of 
the  terrible  desolation  made  by  the  cholera  in  this  devoted 
city,  causing  some  fifty  thousand  deaths  ;  and  gave  us  quite 
a  history  of  the  attack  of  the  French  on  the  city,  and  their 
situation  during  the  siege  ;  and  from  what  he  related  of  the 
departed  glories  of  his  country,  "could  valor  aught  avail,  or 
people's  love,"  Spain  had  not  been  the  disordered  and  bloody 


ADIEU    TO    SEVILLE.  337 


theatre  it.  now  is,  but  for  the  want  of  good  and  righteous 
governors.     Now  they  may  well  exclaim  : 

"  Our  ancient  crown,  in  these  wild  times, 
Oft  stands  upon  a  cast — the  gamester's  ducat, 
So  often  staked  and  lost,  and  then  regained, 
Scarce  knows  so  many  hazards." 

But  now  adieu  to  you  and  fair  Seville. 


15 


338  THE    DILIGENCIA. 


LETTER  XXXVIII. 

SEVILLE  TO  VAL-DE-PENAS A  SPANISH  DILIGENCIA— CRE- 
MONA  COSTUME SHAVING  THEIR  MULES SPANISH  SMO- 
KING  METHOD  OF  TRAVELLING CORDOVA ITS  AN- 
CIENT MOORISH  MOSQUE LEAVING  ANDALUSIA ENTER- 
ING   THE    SIERRA    MORENA. 

Val-dc-Penas,  Spain. 
In  my  last  I  bade  adieu  to  you  and  fair  Seville ;  to  Se- 
ville a  long  and  probably  a  last  adieu,  though  to  you  my  pen 
at  least  will  say  some  few  farewells,  ere  the  sound  of  wel- 
come greets  my  ears  in  that  loved  home  to  which  we  are 
now  tending.  On  the  morning  of  the  nineteenth,  ere  the 
lids  of  dawn  had  oped  to  day,  we  were  seated  in  the  coupee 
of  the  diligencia,  and  making  our  way  through  the  narrow 
streets  of  the  city.  This  sort  of  navigation  you  may  ima- 
gine somewhat  difficult,  and  in  its  process  amusing,  if  you  will 
picture  to  yourself  a  huge,  cumbersome  vehicle,  of  a  length 
equal  to  ano  rdinary  railroad  car,  to  which  is  attached 
from  ten  to  fourteen  mules,  two  abreast,  and  these  of  every 
size  and  color ;  one  of  the  foremost  is  ridden  by  a  boy  or 
man,  as  postillion ;  and  besides  him,  seated  in  front  of  the  ve- 
hicle, are  three  personages  who  take  an  active  part  in  its 
movements.  One  is  the  coachman  par  excellence,  and  holds 
the  reins  at  least ;  another  is  the  mayoral — in  French,  con- 
ducteur — English,  guard — whose  duty  it  is  to  attend  to  the 
passengers  and  their  luggage  ;  the  third  is  a  man  of  all 
work,  or  more  truly  a  running  footman,  and  has  the  most 
arduous  duties  to  perform,  the  chief  of  which  is,  to  keep  the 
mules  upon  a  trot,  and  when  in  sight  of  a  hill,  to  set  them 


SPAIN TONSORED    MULES.  339 

into  a  gallop,  and  keep  them  thus  till  they  attain  the  sum- 
mit, when  they  are  permitted  to  descend  at  their  leisure, 
(quite  the  reverse  of  our  practice,  where  they  walk  up  a  toil- 
some ascent  and  rattle  down  as  if  for  neck  or  nothing,)  for 
if  the  descent  were  made  rapidly,  the  heavy  vehicle  would 
be  too  much  for  the  mules  to  hold  back,  and  an  overturn  the 
consequence.     The  manner  in  which  the  third  man  per- 
forms his  part  is,  by  jumping  to  the  ground,  with  a  loud  shout, 
which  he  continues,  and  is  joined  in  by  the  others,  accompa- 
nied by  the  cracking  of  their  several  whips,  throwing  stones 
at  those  mules  he  cannot  reach,  and  belaboring  with  a  club 
those  he  can  ;  and  away  they  go  like  mad,  and  with  a  noise 
as  of  so  many  mad  devils  after  them  ;  and  to  this  there  are 
only  short  intermissions  night  or  day.     These  men  have 
each  a  uniform,  or  rather  a  costume.      They  wear  the  vel- 
vet bonnet,  sometimes  with  a  steeple  crown  ;  their  breeches 
are  of  velvet  plush  or  leather,  and  are  met  at  the  knee  by 
leather  gaiters,  which  are  never  the  least  ornamental  part 
of  their  dress,  but  are  embossed  or  stamped  in  various  devi- 
ces ;  bright  scarlet  vests,  with  bright  metal   buttons ;  and 
over  this  a  jacket  that  seems,  indeed,  the  pride  of  their  hearts, 
and  must  afford  ample  field  lor  a  fond  sister,  or  one  dearer 
still,  to  exhibit  their  love  and  pride  in  its  garniture.     The 
jacket  itself  is  of  some  dark  cloth,  with  a  bright  facing  and 
collar ;  the    back    and  sleeves  of  this  are  ornamented  by 
pieces  of  cloth,  red,  blue,  yellow  and  green,  laid  on  in  every 
variety  of  form  and  figure,  the  likeness  of  which  is  neither 
in  the  heavens  above,  nor  in  the  earth  beneath,  nor  in  the 
waters  under  the  earth,  and  they  may  therefore  glory  in 
them  without    breaking  the  second  commandment.     This 
fancy  is  extended  even  to  the  coats  of  the  mules,  for  they  are 
divested  of  every  particle  of  hair,  even  of  their  manes  and 
tails,  (the  latter  having  only  a  little  brush  at  the  end,)  save 
where  it  is  left  in  points,  stars,  diamonds,  &;c.,  on  either  side 


340  SMOKE. 


the  crupper  :  for  the  rest,  they  look  as  if  they  wore  mackin- 
toshes, their  close  shaven  hides  resembling  coats  of  India 
rubber  more  than  anything. 

As  for  the  inmates,  they  are  here  as  in  other  countries  in 
the  like  manner  of  travelling,  a  heterogeneous  body,  divided 
into  three  separate  classes,  by  the  Rotunde,the  Interior  and 
the  Coupee.  I  do  not  think  the  Spanish  so  taciturn  a  peo- 
pie  as  we  generally  suppose  them  to  be  ;  certainly  not  as 
much  so  as  a  travelling  Englishman,  for  even  their  inces- 
sant smoking  does  not  hinder  their  volubility.  They  are 
certainly  the  most  incessant  smokers,  though  not  more  in- 
veterate, perhaps,  than  the  Germans.  The  German  fills  the 
huge  bowl  of  his  pipe,  and  smokes  awaj^  in  the  most  busi- 
ness-like  manner  possible,  till  it  is  exhausted  or  consumed, 
and  then  rests  awhile  from  his  labors.  But  the  Spaniard 
pulls  out  his  little  book  of  tissue  paper,  and  tearing  thence 
a  leaf,  folds  it  in  the  proper  manner,  fills  it  with  tobacco 
from  his  box  or  pouch,  then  lights  and  smokes,  and  after  it 
another  and  another  in  quick  succession,  resting  only  to  eat, 
and  even  at  dinner  smoking  between  the  courses ;  for  if  he 
finishes  his  dish  before  his  companions,  he  fumes  away  the 
time  till  the  next  appears.  I  ou  will  scarce  meet  with  a 
Spaniard  who  has  not  the  thumb  and  forefinger  of  his  left 
hand  deeply  stained  and  discolored  by  the  smoke  of  the  pa- 
per and  tobacco  ;  and  very  many  have  a  deep  indentation  in 
the  thumb,  from  so  constantly  holding  a  cigaritto.  But  I 
must  say  this  for  them,  that,  with  scarce  an  exception,  they 
have  all  beautiful  teeth.  The  smoke  of  the  cigarittos  is  not 
so  disagreeable  as  the  German  pipe  or  the  Havana  cigar, 
even  when  you  are  sitting  in  the  midst ;  but  separated  as  w© 
were  in  the  coupee,  we  were  in  no  wise  annoyed. 

Our  journey  to  Madrid  was  to  occupy  four  days  and  nights 
of  almost  constant  travel,  the  only  rest  allowed  us  being  an 
hour  for  breakfast,  at  any  hour  in  the  forenoon  when  we 


SPANISH    COOKERY.  341 

should  reach  our  morning  stage,  varying  from  seven  to  elev- 
en ;  and  at  night  we  usually  halted  at  from  four  to  six,  and 
had  from  that  till  eleven  or  twelve  to  dine  and  sleep. 
At  or  before  midnight  we  were  roused  from  our  heavy  slum- 
bers to  resume  them  en  route  in  the  diligencia.  We  took 
our  first  breakfast  in  Cremona,  at  about  eleven,  though  we 
had,  as  the  Irish  say,  backened  our  appetites,  by  some  of  the 
contents  of  our  travelling  pantry  ;  for  we  had  found  it  neces- 
sary in  the  commencement  of  our  travels,  to  be  provided 
with  a  basket,  and  this  we  have  kept  constantly  filled  with 
fruit,  fresh  or  dry,  and  such  edibles  as  are  most  portable  ; 
and  I  can  assure  you  our  provisions  are  seldom  allowed  to 
get  dry  or  musty. 

Our  short  stay  in  this  neat  and  pretty  town,  allowed  us  to 
see  it  only  in  passing  through  with  the  diligencia ;  but  from 
its  windows  we  had  a  good  view  of  its  fine  Roman  gateway, 
the  old  Moorish  tower  and  fortress,  and  its  fine  campanile, 
in  imitation  of  the  Giralda  at  Seville.  The  country  through 
which  we  passed  was  one  of  unvaried  beauty  and  loveliness, 
well  cultivated,  rich  and  productive.  We  passed  through 
immense  groves  of  olives,  that  looked  as  if  they  might  have 
been  planted  immediately  after  the  deluge.  Most  of  their 
time-worn  trunks  were  rent  asunder  in  two,  three,  and  even 
four  parts,  and  these  parts  separated  by  a  distance  of  six  and 
eight  feet,  and  each  a  luxuriant  and  thrifty  tree. 

At  six  in  the  afternoon  we  reached  Acieja,  a  pretty  place, 
with  a  fine  bridge,  fine  gateways,  some  columns  with  sta- 
tues, and  one  that  appeared  decidedly  Moorish.  To  enjoy, 
or  even  partake,  a  Spanish  dinner,  to  one  unaccustomed,  it 
needs  a  travel- worn  appetite,  so  impregnated  is  everything 
with  all-powerful  garlic  :  neither  eggs  or  salad  could,  with- 
out difficulty,  be  exempt.  I  have  never  spoken  of  this  before, 
but  I  have  sometimes  amused  myself  with  the  thought,  that  if 
any  of  the  many  of  my  home-bound  sighs  reached  their  desti. 


342  A    MOORISH    MOSQUE. 

nation,  you  would  know  whose  they  were,  and  whence  they 
came,  by  the  pervading  effluvia  of  garlic.  Here  we  never 
think  of  refraining,  for  fear  of  offence  :  for  all  are  alike  of- 
fensive, and  we  must  be  so,  nolens  volens. 

At  an  early  hour  on  the  second  day,  we  reached  Cordo- 
va, and  requesting  the  mayoral  to  set  us  down  at  the  ancient 
Moorish  mosque,  we,  with  our  French  companion,  alighted 
there,  and  proceeded  to  view  this  immense,  magnificent,  and 
wonderful  edifice.  It  was  built  about  the  eighth  century,  by 
a  Moorish  emperor,  (Abdoulrahman,)  who  determined  to  have 
it  the  largest  and  most  sumptuous  mosque  in  the  world  :  it 
has  since  been  converted  into  a  Christian  church,  and  of 
course  received  additional  embellishments.  It  is  in  the 
form  of  a  parallelogram,  seven  hundred  and  twenty  feet 
long,  five  hundred  and  thirty  broad ;  it  has  twenty-seven 
naves  or  aisles,  in  its  length,  and  nineteen  in  its  breath. 
These  are  supported  by  eight  hundred  and  fifty  columns  of 
marble,  and,  including  others  within  and  without,  there  are 
one  thousand  and  eighteen,  and  all  of  different  marbles,  mod- 
els, and  orders  of  architecture.  There  is  in  it  a  Moorish 
chapel,  left  in  its  original  state,  retaining  still  the  beautifully 
carved  marble,  the  Arabic  characters,  and  the  gold  mosaic 
of  its  vaulted  roof. 

The  modern  embellishments  of  the  church  are  exceeding- 
ly rich  and  beautifijl :  the  grand  altar  is  of  massive  and  rich- 
ly wrought  silver  ;  pulpits  of  colored  marble,  supported  by 
finely-executed  figures  ;  wood-work,  exquisitely  carved,  and 
other  ornaments  of  great  richness  and  beauty.  But  it  is  the 
great  number  of  columns  that  is  its  chief  beauty,  and  give 
to  the  interior  an  air  of  solemnity  and  mystery  almost  be- 
wildering :  you  seem  walking  in  a  labyrinth,  or  an  immense 
forest,  from  whence  you  can  see  no  outlet.  It  gives  one  the 
best  idea  of  the  Moorish  grandeur  that  once  prevailed  here, 
of  any   edifice  or  ruin  extant.     One   that   has  crossed  its 


SPAIN A    ROMAN    BRIDGE.  343 

threshold,  never  loses  the  impression  of  awe  and  magnifi- 
cence with  which  he  is  nearly  paralyzed.  In  front  of  this 
immense  pile  is  a  great  court,  one  hmidred  and  eighty  feet 
long,  with  a  fine  large  fountain  in  the  centre,  and  contain- 
ing a  grove  of  orange-trees,  said  to  have  been  planted  by 
the  Moors.  On  the  north  side  of  the  court,  and  opposite  the 
cathedral,  rises  a  tall  tower  or  campanile.  It  is  fifty-one 
feet  square,  with  numerous  columns,  and  nearly  a  hundred 
windows.  The  whole  is  enclosed  by  a  high  wall,  orna- 
mented with  pretty  Moorish  turrets,  and  is  altogether  of  a 
size  and  magnificence  to  vie  with  any  church  in  Christen- 
dom. 

Our  short  stay  allowed  us  to  see  little  more  of  this  inter- 
esting city ;  and  after  a  hurried  breakfast,  we  were  once 
more  on  our  way,  and  through  a  country  that  bore  the  al 
ways  smiling  appearance  of  Andalusia.  Everything  was 
green  and  lovely,  and  the  undulating  ridge  of  the  Sierra  Mo- 
rena,  before  us,  was  beautifiilly  colored. 

A  short  distance  from  Cordova  we  passed  over  a  fine 
bridge,  built  of  black  marble,  with  ten  arches,  of  most  solid 
and  substantial  construction — another  monument  of  the  Ro- 
mans. In  entering  on  the  Sierra  Morena,  we  leave  behind 
beautiful,  lovely  Andalusia,  the  most  charming  and  interest- 
ing portion  of  Spain  :  the  richest  and  best  cultivated,  with 
the  exception  of  Catalonia  ;  and  the  people  are  as  neat  and 
cleanly  abovit  their  houses,  as  the  gude  vrows  of  Holland,  or 
our  own  New  England  housewives.  They  sweep  and  dust, 
wash  and  whitewash,  quite  as  much,  and  every  thing  affords 
a  striking  contrast  to  the  dirt  and  filth  of  Italian  inns. 

And  now  I  will  take  my  leave  of  you  and  the  lovely  An- 
dalusians  together  ;  but  in  my  next  we  will  journey  again, 
without  asking  if  you  are  weary,  and  giving  you  no  more 
rest  or  respite  than  these  merciless  mayorals  do  us. 


344  ANDUJAR. 


LETTER  XXXIX. 

ROBBERS    OF    ANDUJAR STERILITY     OF     THE    TABLE    LAND 

OF  SPAIN SUFFERINGS  OF  THE  PEASANTRY THEIR  MAN- 

NER    OF    LIVING ENTRY     OF    THE    QUEEN    MOTHER    INTO 

THE  CAPITAL PREPARATIONS    TO    RECEIVE    HER, 

Madrid,  March. 
At  the  close  of  our  second  day^s  journey  from  Seville,  we 
felt  that  we  were  fast  leaving  behind  us  the  lovely  south  of 
Spain — sweet  Andalusia,  land  of  the  chivalric  Moor,  whence 
"  Afric's  echoes  thrilled  with  Moorish  matrons'  waiL"  It 
had  taken  us  longer  to  perform  the  diurnal  quantum  of  our 
journey,  and  was  dark  when  our  heavy  diligence  lumbered 
into  the  court-yard  of  the  inn  at  Andujar.  The  dinner  was 
on  the  table  ;  and  the  hungry  inmates  of  a  diligence  just 
arrived  from  Madrid  were  already  doing  their  "  devoir"  at 
the  board,  and  our  keen  appetites  induced  us  unceremoni- 
ously to  join.  I  cannot  say  that  the  viands  were  rendered 
more  palatable  by  the  conversation  which  seemed  to  enliven 
all ;  the  subject  was  the  late  robbery  of  the  diligence  (men- 
tioned in  my  last,)  a  few  miles  from  this  place,  at  a  point 
which  we  had  yet  to  pass.  But  we  had  little  time  to  devote 
to  sleep,  and  were  warned  to  separate  and  make  the  most 
of  it. 

*'  A  sleep  without  dreams,  after  a  rough  day 
Of  toil,  is  what  we  envy  most ;  and  yet" 

I  will  wager  something  that  brigands  and  robbers  played 
their  parts  before  the  "  mind's  eye"  of  some  of  the  sleepers 
in  the  inn  of  Andujar  that  night.  But  it  did  not  prevent  sleep 


robbers'  signals.  345 


altogether,  as  I  can  answer  from  the  reluctance  as  well  as 
difficulty  with  which  I  roused  myself  at  the  midnight  call  of 
our  mayoral.  Once  in  the  diligence,  and  wide  awake,  we 
had  nought  to  do  but  lie  in  wait  for  the  robbers,  as  we  feared 
they  were  doing  for  us. 

We  had  been  progressing  about  an  hour,  when,  at  half- 
past  one  in  the  morning,  I  fancied  I  could  see  a  bright  light 
glimmering  in  the  fields,  while  yet  a  far  way  off.  I  watched 
it  silently  ;  my  husband  being  apparently  in  a  deep  sleep. 
As  ^ve  came  nearer,  the  light  increased  in  size  and  bright- 
ness, and  I  could  soon  see  that  it  was  a  large  bonfire  a  little 
distance  on  the  road,  on  our  right.  With  my  excited  fancy, 
I  readily  made  this  out  to  be  a  signal  of  the  robbers,  and  I 
held  my  breath  with  fear,  but  still  had  presence  of  mind  to 
endeavor  to  remove  such  personal  ornaments  as  1  had  about 
me,  and  to  put  them  in  some  place  more  secure.  We  went 
rolling,  rolling  on,  yet  it  seemed  as  if  we  made  no  progress. 
At  last  we  reached  it,  passed  it,  and  were  safe  ;  yet  it  was 
some  time  ere  my  breath  came  naturally. 

My  feelings  had  scarcely  subsided  to  a  calm,  when — oh, 
horror! — I  espied  another  light.  It  was  on  the  opposite 
side,  about  the  same  distance  from  the  road  ;  and  this  I  sup- 
posed the  answer  to  the  signal,  and  that  at  this  spot  we  were 
to  meet  our  fate.  My  fears  you  may  be  sure  were  increased 
ten-fold,  and  my  feelings  I  will  not  attempt  to  describe. 
Minutes  seemed  hours  again,  till  we  left  this  fire  also  behind 
us,  and  our  peril  was  over. 

All  this  time  I  had  remained  perfectly  still,  and  supposed 
my  husband  unconscious  of  all ;  but  the  next  day,  when  I 
began  to  relate  my  past  experience  of  the  night,  I  found  he 
had  been  as  wide  awake  as  myself,  having  the  same  suspi- 
cions of  the  lights,  and  taking  the  same  precautions  with  his 
valuables.  And  his  belief  still  is,  that  the  lights  were  what 
we  thought  them — the  banditti's  signals  ;  but  that,  through 

15* 


346  ASCENT    OF    THE    SIERRA. 

some  misunderstanding  or  misadventure  on  their  part,  their 
plans  failed,  and  we  escaped. 

We  met,  this  and  the  day  before,  a  number  of  mounted 
patrol,  who  had  been  sent  out  since  the  robbery  to  guard 
the  road ;  but  when  one  reflects  upon  the  real  necessity  of 
their  being  there,  it  takes  from  the  fancied  security  which 
their  well-mounted  and  armed  appearance  at  first  sight  gives. 

We  woke  from  a  broken  and  unrefreshing  sleep,  and 
looked  out  upon  a  landscape  that  was  desolate  and  drear  in 
comparison  with  that  through  which  we  had  been  journey- 
ing ;  and  there  was  nought  to  relieve  the  eye  save  where 
"  the  dark  sierras  rose  in  craggy  pride."  We  breakfasted 
at  La  Carolina ;  and  here  commenced  an  ascent  of  the  Si- 
erra Morena.  The  distant  mountains  of  Castile  were  cov- 
ered with  snow,  the  wind  blew  a  perfect  hurricane,  and  the 
rain  came  furiously  at  limes,  adding  to  the  gloom  of  the 
utter  barrenness  of  the  country ;  and,  making  up  for  our 
wakeful  night,  we  slept  away  the  day. 

We  rested  at  night  at  Val  de  Penas,  a  most  unpromising 
town  in  appearance,  containing  about  three  thousand  inhab- 
bitants  and  actually  without  a  pane  of  glass  in  the  place  ! 
It  is  celebrated  for  the  excellence  of  its  wines,  and  nowhere 
have  we  tasted  so  bad.  At  midnight  we  were  again  roused, 
and  continued  all  night  our  winding  way  up  the  "  Morena's 
dusky  height,"  suffering  severely  from  excessive  cold.  The 
country,  during  this  our  last  day's  ride,  was  desolate  in  the 
extreme  ;  the  people  of  the  villages  seemed  miserably  poor, 
the  face  of  the  country  barren,  and  so  utterly  devoid  of  tree 
or  shrub  as  to  afford  nothing  for  fuel,  so  that  the  poor  crea- 
tures must  suffer  immeasurably  from  cold. 

In  the  afternoon  we  passed  through  a  village  where  the 
inhabitants  live  like  rabbits  or  swallows  in  the  earth,  having 
their  habitations  in  the  side  of  the  hills  around,  composed  of 
a  clay  or  tuffa  soil ;  and  those  who  presented  themselves  to 


THE    aUEEN-MOTHER.  347 

solicit  charity,  while  we  were  changing  horses,  were  the 
most  deformed  and  miserable  looking  human  beings  we  have 
yet  encountered,  exceeding  even  the  Poverty-stricken  Irish 
or  Italians. 

It  is  a  little  singular,  that  in  no  part  of  Spain  did  we  see 
a  solitary  windmill,  till  having  attained  the  table-land  of  the 
Sierra  Morena,  and  entered  upon  old  Castile — when  we  saw 
numbers  of  them  swinging  their  giant  arms,  seeming  to 
challenge  and  defy  ali  crack-brained  errant-knights  ;  one 
could  not  help  thinking  of  that  unfortunate  wight,  the  knight 
of  La  Mancha. 

All  the  centre  of  Spain  is  occupied  by  a  high  table-land, 
a  dreary  desert  waste,  barren  of  everything  like  vegetation, 
and  perfectly  denuded  of  trees.  On  this  barren  upland  plain, 
Madrid  is  placed,  and  cold  and  dreary  is  the  situation ;  with 
the  snowy  peaks  of  Toledo  enclosing  it,  relieved  only  by  the 
blue  sky  around.  We  reached  it  on  the  fifth  morning,  after 
a  journey  of  four  successive  days  and  nights,  and  despite  our 
fatigue,  and  the  desolation  of  the  country  through  which  we 
travelled,  Madrid  appeared  truly  vegal  and  magnificent,  per- 
haps the  more  so  from  contrast.  We  crossed  the  river 
Guadalaxara,  which  at  this  time  had  little  or  no  water,  by  a 
bridge  that  is  massive,  magnificent  and  stupendous  ;  the  means 
certainly  more  than  the  necessity  in  this  case.  We  learned 
at  Araguez  that  the  Queen-Mother  slept  at  that  place  the 
night  previous,  the  young  Queen  coming  thus  far  to  meet 
and  welcome  her  royal  mother,  whom  she  had  not  seen  for 
nearly  four  years.  They  arrived  at  Madrid  Saturday  even- 
ing, we  Sunday  morning,  so  that  we  had  all  the  benefit  of 
the  decorations  and  gala  scenes  got  up  to  honor  majesty. 
We  passed  through  a  beautifully  decorated  arch,  outside 
of  which  was  an  amphitheatre  of  seats  with  an  awning 
of  rich  silks  and  velvets,  where  were  stationed  the  digni- 
taries   and    nobility    of  the    city,  to  receive  and  welcome 


348  FOUNTAINS MADRID. 

the  royal  cortege,  and  whom  all  the  people  came  out  to  see. 
Passing  through  the  arch,  we  entered  upon  the  Prada  or 
Alameda,  which  has  at  one  end  a  fountain  representing  Nep- 
tune standing  in  a  car  drawn  by  sea-horses,  and  at  the  other 
end  a  female  figure  sitting  in  a  chariot  drawn  by  lions  ;  in 
the  centre  is  an  obelisk  with  a  statue  on  the  top ;  four  other 
statues  are  on  either  side,  each  pouring  forth  their  quota  of 
limpid  water.  There  are,  beside,  four  lesser  fountains,  very 
pretty  and  graceful  ;  and  near  by  is  an  obelisk,  erected 
to  the  memory  of  the  three  hundred  Spaniards  shot  by 
order  of  Murat,  for  rebellion  and  massacre  of  the  French, 
while  they  had  possession  of  Madrid. 

In  my  next,  I  will  give  you  a  description  of  Madrid  in 
gala  dress* 


MADRID GALA    DAYS.  349 


LETTER  XL. 

KEJOICINGS  OF  MADRID  ON  THE  ARRIVAL  OF  THE  aUEEN- 
MOTHER THE  PALACE ANCIENT  ARMORY THE  GAL- 
LERY   OF  THE    RETIRO THE  ESCURIAL    AND    MAUSOLEUM 

OF    THE    KINGS    OF    SPAIN. 

Madrid,  April. 
I  HAVE  been  told  by  a  friend,  who  had  lived  much  of  his 
life  among  the  Spaniards,  that  there  are  no  people  that  excel 
them  in  the  splendor  of  their  civil  or  religious  ceremonies ; 
and  I  consider  it  one  of  the  most  fortunate  events  of  our  long 
journey,  to  have  witnessed  the  three  days'  jubilee  in  honor 
of  Marie  Christine's  return  to  Madrid.  Arriving,  as  we  did, 
the  morning  after  the  entrance  of  the  Queen-Mother,  we 
found  the  whole  city  arrayed  in  its  gala  dress.  Every  house 
was  hung  with  drapery  of  some  kind — the  poorer  ones  had 
hangings  of  colored  muslin,  ornamented  with  gold  and  silver 
fringe,  and  flowers  of  tinsel ;  those  of  the  better  sort  had 
their  balconies  draped  with  rich  damask  and  other  silks, 
while  the  palaces  were  decorated  with  the  richest  speci- 
mens of  Gobelin  tapestry,  (which  is  manufactured  here  in 
the  greatest  perfection,)  intermingled  with  portraits,  crowns, 
and  other  insignia  of  royalty.  One  palace  indeed  had  twenty- 
four  of  these  woven  pictures,  as  largo  as  a  counterpane, 
having  the  arms  of  the  family  in  the  centre  of  each,  with  a 
rich  border  surmounting  them.  The  public  buildings  were 
hung  with  a  profusion  of  rich  crimson  velvet,  sometimes  in- 
termingled with  flags  and  banners,  and  silks  of  various  hues  ; 
sometimes  of  velvet  only,  but  decorated  with  heavy  gold 
fringe,  cords  and  tassels,  with  immense  gilt  crowns,  and  por- 


350  SPLENDID    ILLUMINATIONS. 

traits  of  the  Queen,  Queen-Mother,  and  the  Infanta,  and  many 
favorite  or  favored  individuals  of  the  court.  Temporaiy  build- 
ings of  a  fanciflil  kind  have  been  erected  in  various  parts  of 
the  city.  Near  our  hotel  is  an  immense  old  German  castle, 
with  sentinels  in  ancient  armor  walking  to  and  fro  amid  the 
towers  and  turrets  above,  or  on  the  walls  beneath  ;  and 
though  only  of  painted  canvass,  it  makes  a  fine  appearance? 
and  would  do  no  discredit  to  the  "  castellated  Rhine."  A 
company  of  some  fifty  peasants,  men  and  women,  dressed  in 
the  most  picturesque  of  Spanish  costume,  accompanied  by  a 
band  of  music,  danced  the  different  national  dances  in  the 
squares,  or  wherever  there  was  a  sufficient  space  to  admit  of 
it  in  any  part  of  the  city.  Then,  at  night,  every  house  in  the 
city  was  illuminated  ;  outside,  the  public  buildings,  some  of 
which  are  immense,  were  entirely  covered  with  colored  lamps, 
and  several  literally  one  blaze  of  light,  too  dazzling  to  look 
upon.  On  some,  the  lights  were  arranged  in  a  variety  of 
tasteflil  forms  ;  as  crowns,  stars,  banners,  ships,  &;c.  Bands  of 
music,  too,  were  stationed  almost  within  sound  of  each  other, 
in  every  part ;  regiments  of  soldiers  filled  the  streets,  and  the 
entire  population  were  all  out  star-gazing.  During  certain 
hours  of  the  day  were  to  be  seen  the  Dons  and  Donnas,  with 
dignitaries  of  every  degree,  going  to  the  Queen's  levee,  in 
their  fine  court  dresses — ^the  gentlemen  in  white  cassimere 
pants,  with  a  broad  gold  band  down  either  side,  their  coats 
richly  embroidered  with  gold,  the  flaps  lined  with  crimson 
silk ;  stars  and  orders  on  the  breast ;  frills  of  rich  lace  ; 
cocked  hats  with  gold  lace  and  white  feathers,  with  rich 
swords  and  gilt^  spurs.  The  Donnas  in  silks,  velvets,  and 
jewels,  hide  half  their  charms  and  beauty  with  their  coquet- 
tish veils.  All  this,  continually  for  three  days  and  nights,  kept 
us  and  our  eyes  busy  enough,  I  can  assure  you  ;  in  fact  I 
began  to  tire  of  it — 


MADRID THE    ARMORY.  351 

*'  So  much  I  felt  my  genial  spirits  droop, 

Nature  within  me  seem'd, 
In  all  her  functions,  weary  of  herself." 

It  was  quite  a  relief  to  turn  to  other  things.  The  royal 
palace  is  magnificent  and  elegant  in  its  exterior,  but  of  the  in- 
terior we  could  not  judge,  it  being  at  present  occupied.  It 
was  intended  to  have  been  very  much  larger ;  only  one- 
eighth  of  it,  according  to  the  original  plan,  has  been  com- 
pleted, and  even  one -third  of  the  present  building  is  below 
ground.  Methinks  if  it  had  been  built  according  to  the  size 
of  the  plan,  it  would  have  held  the  nation.  While  standing 
in  the  court-yard  of  the  palace,  we  had  an  opportunity  of 
seeing  the  Queen,  with  her  mother  and  sister,  the  Infanta,  as 
they  entered  an  open  carriage,  and  drove  off  for  their  after- 
noon ride. 

The  armory  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  places  to  visit 
here,  especially  if  one  could  always  have  as  mtelligent  a  com- 
panion as  we  had  in  Mr.  H ,  whose  explanations  made 

our  visit  perfectly  delightflil.  The  armor,  most  of  it,  is  known 
to  have  been  owned  and  worn  by  the  kings'  generals,  and 
other  great  men,  who  have  figured  as  the  chivalry  of  Spanish 
history.  Madrid,  too,  can  boast  perhaps  the  finest  and  largest 
collection  of  paintings  in  the  world  ;  it  equals  in  size  and 
number  that  of  Dresden,  and  in  beauty  that  of  Florence  ;  and 
it  can  boast  what  none  other  can,  a  multitude  of  Murillo's, 
worth  in  themselves  a  visit  to  Spain.  Here  you  may  see  him 
in  perfection  ;  and  there  are  those  who  consider  him  equal, 
if  not  superior,  to  Raphael.  This  collection  having  been 
formed  when  Spain  had  dominion  over  the  greater  part  of 
Europe,  it  has  some  of  every  school.  A  part  of  the  Retiro, 
or  old  palace,  is  set  apart  for  the  gallery,  and  they  are  most 
admirably  well  arranged — 

"  For,  ever  and  anon,  to  sooth  your  vision. 
There  rose  a  Carlo  Dolce  or  a  Titian, 
Or  wilder  groups,  of  savage  Salvatore's : 


352  THE    ESCURIAL. 


Here  danced  Albano's  boys,  and  here  the  seas  shone 
In  VeTnet's  ocean  lights  ;  and  there  the  stories 
Of  martyrs  awed,  as  Spognoletti  tainted 
His  brush  with  all  the  blood  of  all  the  sainted." 

We  have  devoted  three  days  to  an  excursion  to  the  Escu- 
rial,  the  ci-devant  court  of  Spain.  It  is  some  twenty-five  or 
thirty  nmiles  from  Madrid,  situated  among  the  mountains,  and 
suiTOunded  by  a  country  that,  however  gay  and  smiling  it 
may  have  seemed  with  the  presence  and  amusements  of  a 
splendid  court,  is,  without  it,  sad  and  desolate  in  the  extreme. 
It  is  an  immense  palace  ^nd  convent  combined,  built  by  Phi- 
lip  II.,  in  accordance  with  a  vow  he  made,  if  he  gained  the 
battle  of  St.  Quentin.  This  occurring  on  St.  Lawrence's 
day,  it  is  dedicated  to  San  Lorenzo,  and  he  and  his  gridiron 
are  seen  in  all  paits  of  the  building.  The  building  itself  is 
in  form  of  a  gridiron.  The  palace  being  no  longer  a  resi- 
dence of  the  court,  has  been  despoiled  of  most  of  its  furniture, 
paintings,  and  other  decorations,  and,  from  the  suppression  of 
the  monasteries,  the  monks  have  been  driven  forth,  w^th  the 
exception  of  some  half-dozen,  who  attend  to  the  services  of 
the  truly  rich  and  beautiful  chapel,  and  perform  the  duties  of 
religion  to  those  in  the  neighborhood  w'ho  have  need.  The 
best  of  the  paintings  have  been  removed,  but  some  of  the 
apartments  contain  splendid  pictures  of  Gobelin  tapestry  ;  the 
best  pictures  of  the  great  masters  have,  many  of  them,  been 
most  skilfully  wrought,  and  shine  forth  in  the  brightest  and 
most  vivid  colors  of  the  loom.  In  a  part  of  the  convent  we 
were  shown  some  holy  relics ;  among  them  was  one  of  the 
jars  that  held  the  wine  at  the  marriage  at  Cana,  empty,  of 
course,  for  monks  are  not  apt  to  let  good  wine  spoil ;  and, 
on  a  small  bed  of  white  satin,  amid  tinsel  and  flow  ers,  was 
the  naked  skeleton  of  one  of  the  innocents  murdered  by  Herod 
— (a  modern  Herod,  I  fancy,) — and  these  things  were  dis- 
played and  the  relation  given  by  the  priest,  and  looked  at  and 


SPAIN THE    MAUSOLEUM.  353 

listened  to  by  a  Spaniard  who  accompanied  us,  with  the 
greatest  gravity  and  solemnity  ;  while  I  dared  scarcely  glance 
at  them,  for  fear  the  absm-dity  would  overcome  my  sobriety. 
Underneath  the  chapel  is  the  royal  Mausoleum ;  it  is  of 
marble,  octagonal  in  form,  with  shelves  on  all  sides,  on  which 
are  ranged  the  marble  or  bronze  sarcophagi,  containing  the 
mouldering  remains  of  royal  humanity — for  divine  and  anoin- 
ted as  it  is,  it  comes  to  be  food  for  womis,  like  all  others. 

To-morrow  we  once  more  take  flight,  on  our  way  to  Paris, 
passing  through  Burgos,  Vittoria,  Bayonne,  Bordeaux,  An- 
gouleme,  Poictiers,  Tours,  and  Orleans  ;  a  portion  of  France, 
interesting,  from  tale  and  history  ;  the  stage  on  which  the 
actors  of  Quentin  Durward  played  their  parts  ;  the  scene  of 
Edward  the  Black  Prince's  glory  ;  the  loves  of  Agnes  So- 
relle,  Diana  de  Poictiers,  of  Gabrielie  d'Estelle,  and  of  that 
true  and  perfect  heroine,  Joan  d'Arc,  of  all  of  which  you  shall 
have  a  hasty  sketch  in  my  next. 


354  LEAVING    MADRID. 


LETTER   XLI. 

LEAVING  MADRID APPEARANCE  OF  THE  COUNTRY BUR- 
GOS  ITS  CATHEDRAL VITTORIA THE  BIDASSOA BOUN- 
DARY BETWEEN  FRANCE  AND  SPAIN THE   BASQUES BA- 

YONNE. 

Bayonne,  April. 

On  the  last  day  of  March  we  left  Madrid,  passing  along 
its  lovely  Prada,  with  its  noble  fountains  and  dropsical  trees. 
I  do  not  think  I  have  mentioned  this  to  you  before,  but  we 
were  told  by  a  gentleman,  that,  owing  to  the  unnatural  man- 
ner of  watering  the  trees,  made  necessary  by  the  dr3mess  of 
the  climate  and  the  long  intervals  without  rain,  the  trunks, 
after  a  time,  swell,  until,  like  the  frog  in  the  fable,  they 
can  swell  no  more  ;  they  then  burst  and  die.  I  have  said 
not  a  word  of  the  churches  of  Madrid,  for  the  simple  reason 
that  they  are  not  at  all  the  lions  of  the  place.  Madrid  has 
little  to  boast  of  in  the  way  of  ecclesiastical  architecture  ; 
though  the  churches  are  sufficiently  numerous  for  all  the  pur- 
poses of  religion  ;  we  will  therefore  leave  them,  with  the 
charitable  conclusion  that  they  are  more  for  use  than  dis- 
play. 

Our  journey  from  Madrid  was  most  of  it  a  dull,  uninterest- 
ing and  fatiguing  one.  We  had  missed  it  very  much  in  not 
securing  the  coupee  of  the  diligence,  as  we  could  have  done  ; 
but  we  suffered  so  much  from  cold,  crossing  the  Sierra  Mo- 
rena,  and  supposing  it  would  be  still  more  severe  in  crossing 
the  Pyrenees,  that  had  still,  as  we  could  discern,  "  snowy 
capes  to  their  mantles  blue,"  we  concluded  to  take  seats  in 
the  interior,  and  this,  unfortunately,  which  had  been  nearly 


BURGOS.  355 


empty  fi'om  Seville,  was  now  filled  with  Spaniards,  who 
smoked  incessantly,  much  to  my  annoyance  ;  while  a  young 
Italian  count,  returning  to  Genoa  with  his  young  and  rather 
pretty  Portuguese  bride,  enjoyed  the  snugness  and  solitude 
of  the  coupee. 

The  country  above  Madrid  is  much  better  cultivated  and 
not  so  barren,  arid  and  naked  as  south  of  it ;  but  in  order  to 
make  the  earth  bring  forth  her  increase,  the  people  are 
obliged  to  expend  much  toil  and  labor,  and  show  in  their 
persons  that  they  are  a  hard-working  people.  Their  imple- 
ments of  husbandry  are  very  primitive  :  the  wheels  of  their 
carts  are  without  spokes,  formed  of  an  almost  solid  piece  of 
wood,  with  a  hole  in  the  centre  for  the  axle.  We  have  been 
told,  indeed,  that  these  carts  are  almost  fac-similes  of  those 
that  have  been  disinterred  at  Pompeii ;  and  if  so,  there  can 
scarce  have  been  any  improvement  for  the  last  two  thousand 
years,  or  since  their  first  invention. 

The  second  night  brought  us  to  Burgos,  earl}-  enough  to 
see  its  fine  cathedral  and  some  other  parts  of  this  interest- 
ing old  city,  the  ancient  seat  of  the  kings  of  Spain,  till 
Charles  V.  removed  it  to  Madrid.  The  cathedral  is  truly  a 
mass  of  magnificence,  and  contains,  like  all  the  churches  of 
Spain,  splendid  specimens  of  their  skill  in  carving  wood. 
In  the  chapter,  or  vestry-room,  we  were  shown  some  relics  of 
the  Cid  ;  some  of  his  armor,  and  an  old  worm-eaten  trunk  or 
chest,  bound  with  strong  bands  of  iron,  and  fastened  with 
cumbrous,  heavy  padlocks.  From  the  heights  near  by,  a  fine 
old  castle  looks  down  upon  the  place,  and  in  the  large  mar- 
ket-place was  a  motley  assemblage  and  assortment.  The 
next  night  we  reached  Vittoria,  but  I  had  got  scarcely  bro- 
ken into  the  fatigue  of  constant  travel,  and  was  this  day  too 
tired  to  see  more  than  what  I  obtained  in  the  view  from  my 
windows,  and  this  was  really  beautiful,  the  whole  city  being 
suiTounded  by  a  diversified  plain,  shut  in  by  high  hills.     Mr. 


356  THE    PYRENEES. 


-,  who  ascended  the  tower  of  the  church  to  obtain  his 


view,  said  he  counted  upward  of  forty  villages. 

Left  Vittoria  at  the  usual  early  hour,  and  continued  our 
way  through  a  country  interesting  as  well  as  beautiful,  for 
here  commenced  the  ramifications  of  the  Pyrenees,  and  here 
was  the  seat  of  the  civil  war  between  the  Royalists  and  Car- 
lists,  as  well  as  the  war  of  Independence,  between  the  Span- 
iards, assisted  by  the  English,  against  the  French.  But  as 
we  could  not  speak  the  language,  we  could  ask  no  ques- 
tions, nor  gain  any  information  from  the  conversation,  evi- 
dently made  interesting  and  exciting  by  the  scenes  through 
which  we  were  passing.  The  guide-book  we  had,  too,  bore 
the  stamp  of  antiquity,  being  some  twelve  or  fifteen  years 
old,  by  no  means  a  recommendation  to  a  guide-book  for  trav- 
ellers. If  we  had  Sir  John  Froissart  in  our  company,  we 
might  be  tempted  to  linger  here,  and  while  away  the  time 
with  his  delightful  anecdotes  of  these  scenes  and  places.  We 
had  all  day  a  constant  succession  of  hills  and  valleys  ;  lovely 
and  smiling  were  the  latter,  and  the  former  being  cultivated 
to  their  summits,  looked  equally  joyous.  The  Pyrenees,  un- 
like most  mountains  in  Europe,  are  covered  with  immense 
forests,  composed  of  different  trees,  whose  varied  foliage 
shows  every  variety  of  green,  and,  at  this  season,  they  were 
in  their  full  and  newest  livery  ;  while  the  verdant  hill-sides 
were  richly  gemmed  by  "  flower-producing  spring."  The 
odor  of  sweet  flowers  scented  the  air,  and  bouquets  of  wild 
flowers  were  thrown  in  to  us  by  children  along  the  road ; 
we  had,  however,  a  powerful  drawback  to  all  this,  in  the 
clouds  of  dust  that  enveloped  and  almost  suffocated  us  all 
day.  A  place  was  pointed  out  to  us  near  the  road,  as  the 
spot  on  which  the  General  of  the  Carlists  and  the  com- 
mander of  the  Royalists  met,  embraced,  and  parted,  when 
Don  Carlos  abandoned  his  claims,  thus  closing  the  war ; 
and  on  it  is  to  be  erected  a  monument  in  commemoration  of 


THE    BASQUES.  SSt 


that  event.  About  four  in  the  afternoon  we  reached  our  rest- 
ing-place, Tolosi,  prettily  situated  in  a  beautiful  valley,  and 
after  we  had  undergone  a  thorough  ablution,  to  divest  us  of 
the  coat  of  dust  that  had  accumulated  and  penetrated  every 
part,  we  sallied  out  for  a  walk,  and  followed  the  river  which 
runs  through  the  place,  a  long  distance  up  the  valley.  But 
we  soon  found  that  riding  three  days  and  nights  left  us  little 
strength  for  walking,  and  less  spirit  for  sight -seeing.  By  the 
time  we  reached  Yrun,  the  last  Spanish  town,  we  had  left 
nearly  all  our  passengers,  and  after  having  submitted  our- 
selves to  the  custom-house  officers  here,  we  journeyed  on 
quite  comfortably  and  pleasantly.  We  crossed  the  little  river 
Bidassoa,  the  boundary  line  between  France  and  Spain  ;  and 
then,  in  the  little  town  or  isle  of  Behobia,  went  through  an- 
other tedious  custom-house  ceremony.  At  breakfast  we  were 
waited  upon  by  a  beautiful  Basque  girl,  one  of  that  singular 
people  called  the  aborigines  of  western  Europe,  "  who  have 
seen  Carthagenians,  Celts,  Romans,  Goths,  Saracens,  pass 
before  them,  and  still  remain  in  possession  of  their  mountain 
home,  part  in  France,  part  in  Spain,  speaking  a  language 
which  has  nothing  in  common  with  any  other  of  Europe." 

Immediately  on  entering  France,  you  are  surrounded  by 
groves  of  cork  trees,  denuded  of  their  bark,  alternated  with 
forests  of  pine,  every  tree  of  which  has  a  strip  of  its  bark  ta- 
ken off  from  root  to  branch,  to  force  it  to  yield  its  pitchy  sap, 
that  exudes  in  great  quantities,  and  is  then  gathered  for  tur- 
pentine. About  two  in  the  afternoon  we  reached  Bayonne, 
but  had  not  been  long  here  before  it  commenced  raining, 
which  prevented  any  very  extensive  researches.  We  walked, 
however,  through  its  arcade  of  fine  shops,  and  along  the 
banks  of  the  Adour,  where  is  a  beautifiil  walk,  handsomely 
laid  out,  and  planted  with  trees.  Bayonne  is  situated  at  the 
junction  of  the  Nive  with  the  Adour  ;  these  two  fine  rivers  di- 
vide the  place  into  three  parts,  and  with  the  pleasant  walks 


858  BAYONNE. 


along  their  banks,  add  much  to  its  beauty.  It  is  a  strongly 
fortified  place,  having  double  fortifications  ;  and  it  was  near 
this,  that  the  battle  took  place  between  Wellington  and  Mar- 
shal Soult,  which  terminated  the  Peninsular  war.  We  en- 
tered Bayonne  by  the  Port  d'Espagne,  through  which  Napo- 
leon poured  his  army  of  locusts  into  Spain,  and  we  left  it  by 
a  stone  and  wire  bridge,  over  the  Nive,  and  by  a  bridge  of 
boats  over  the  Adour,  passing  by  the  citadel  and  the  English 
cemetery,  where  lie  the  soldiers  and  officers  who  fell  in  the 
sortie  fi-om  Bayonne,  1814. 


BORDEAUX.  '669 


LETTER  XLII. 

RIDE  FROM  BAYONNE  TO  BORDEAUX BORDEAUX A  BEAU- 
TIFUL SEAPORT ITS  QUAY SUSPENSION  BRIDGE HEAD- 
DRESS   OF    THE    PEASANTRY ANGOULEME POICTIERS 

ITS     HISTORIC    INTERST APPEARANCES     OF     COUNTRY 

TRIMMING  OF  TREES, 

April. 
We  left  Bayonne  at  six  in  the  morning,  breakfasting  at 
Dax,  a  small  place,  celebrated  for  its  hot-baths,  but  more 
strongly  impressed  upon  our  memory  by  the  delicious  fast- 
day-breakfast  we  enjoyed ;  so  much  heightened,  especially, 
by  our  recent  participation  in  the  oil  and  garlic  of  Spain. 
It  was  Lent,  and  the  dishes  served  were  various  productions 
of  the  sea,  with  others  composed  of  eggs,  milk  and  vege- 
tables, cooked  in  every  form  and  manner ;  but  each  so  deli- 
cious, that  for  my  part,  if  I  could  always  have  such  a  table 
spread,  I  would  consent  to  fast  continually.  The  road  was 
finely  macadamized,  and  lined  with  trees ;  the  country 
through  which  we  passed  exceedingly  beautiful,  but  the 
towns  seemed  so  few  and  far  between,  that  one  could  not 
but  wonder  to  whom  so  much  fine  land  belonged,  and  how 
they  could  be  enabled,  at  such  a  distance,  to  take  so  good 
care  of  it.  We  spent  one  day  at  Bordeaux,  and  devoted  as 
much  time  as  the  rain  would  permit  in  driving  through  and 
along  the  fine  quay  of  this  truly  handsome  city.  Its  quay  is 
one  of  its  chief  beauties,  stretchii^g  along  the  left  bank  of 
the  Garonne,  and  curving  with  the  bend  of  the  river ;  with 
noble  dwellings  and  warehouses  ranged  on  one  side,  front- 
ing to  the  water,  and  shaded  by  rows  of  fine  trees.     It  does 


360  DORDOGNE— SUSPENSION    BRIDGE. 

not,  however,  present  the  bustle  and  activity  that  is  gener- 
ally observable  in   a  large  commercial   seaport  town,  and 
which  I  had  thought  to  see  in  this  Liverpool  of  France. 
The   houses    are    large   and  handsome,  mostly   built  of  a 
dark-colored-stone,  like  granite  ;  ornamented  with  rich  carv- 
ing, and  with  pretty  balconies,  with  tasty  iron -railings.     Its 
theatre  is  truly  magnificent ;  built  upon  a  square  isolated  on 
all  sides,  and  placed  beside  any  other  in  Europe,  would  be 
excelled  by  none.     Its  streets  and  squares  derive  their  chief 
beauty  from  the  great  number  of  trees  which  ornament  and 
shade  them;  and  the  dress  of  the  people,  as  well  as  the  shop 
windows,  show  that  we  are  drawing  near  to  Paris.     The  ca. 
thedral  and  Hotel  de  Ville  were  built  by  subjects  of  the  kings 
of  England,  and  from  its  being  for  a  long  time  the  seat  and 
stronghold  of  the  English  power  on  the  continent,  still  re- 
tains mementos  of  the  striking  events  of  the  history  of  the 
thirteenth  and  fourteenth  centuries,  when  that  of  England 
and  France  was  so  intimately  mingled. 

Leaving  the  city  fairly  behind  us,  we  reach  a  fine  iron 
suspension  bridge,  that  spans  the  Dordogne,  (emptying  into 
the  Garonne  at  Cubzac.)  It  is  the  largest  in  Europe,  and 
though  it  has  not  the  solid,  substantial  appearance  of  the 
Menai  bridge,  it  exceeds  all  of  the  kind  I  have  seen  in 
beauty  ;  it  is  so  exceedingly  light  and  airy,  that  one  might 
fancy  its  builders  had  been  fairies.  It  was  Sunday  when  we 
left  Bordeaux,  and  though  I  feel  always  some  scruples  about 
travelling  on  the  Sabbath,  still  I  must  say  there  is  pleasure 
in  journeying  through  strange  lands  on  that  day ;  for,  being 
the  fete-day  of  these  Catholic  countries,  the  people  of  all 
classes  are  in  holiday  attire  ;  and  where  there  is  any  pecu- 
liarity of  costume,  you  see  it  on  that  day  in  great  perfection  ; 
and  the  high  Norman  caps,  worn  by  the  peasant  women, 
were  very  striking  in  their  appearance.  In  the  vicinity  of 
Bordeaux,  the  crowns  were  round,  and  immensely  large;  and 


ANGOULEME A  WEDDING  PARTY.         361 

cushions  were  worn  on  the  head,  to  keep  them  extended  to 
their  full  proportions ;  these  had  broad  lace  borders,  fluted, 
falling  in  deep  lappels  on  either  side,  and  it  was  curious,  as 
we  advanced,  to  note  the  variations  and  increased  propor- 
tions of  these  quaint-looking  head-dresses.  Their  size  was 
immense,  so  that  it  would  require  a  good-sized  bandbox  to 
accommodate  a  full-blown  one  ;  the  largest  we  saw  were  of 
lace,  and  were  supported  by  a  framework  of  wire  ;  and  tier 
after  tier  of  fluted  border  rose,  one  above  the  other,  to  the 
summit  of  the  tower ;  then,  some  were  lined  with  fancy  co- 
lors— blue,  pink,  &;c.  ;  now  the  form  was  triangular  ;  and, 
as  we  receded  from  Bordeaux,  it  became  reduced  in  size, 
and  changed  its  shape  to  quadrangular. 

Near  Angouleme,  late  in  the  afternoon,  we  met  a  wedding 
party,  walking  two  and  two ;  the  first  couple  leading  off 
with  a  violin,  all  looking  merry  and  joyous,  though,  as  usual 
in  such  cases,  some  of  them  blushing  and  foolish.  But  these 
caps  appear  most  curious  on  the  young  girls,  for  even  those 
of  six  years  old  mount  them.  About  six  in  the  afternoon 
we  reached  the  beautifully  situated  town  of  Angouleme, 
built  upon  a  high  mound,  from  the  summit  of  which  you 
have  an  extensive  view  of  the  rich  and  lovely  plain  below, 
filled  with  pretty  villages  ;  and  of  the  river  Charante,  wind- 
ing, and  enriching  the  plain  through  which  it  flows.  The 
crown  of  the  hill  is  surrounded  by  ramparts,  formerly  the 
fortifications  of  the  city,  but  now  terraced,  and  forming  a 
delightful  promenade.  On  entering  the  town,  we  noted  a 
column,  dedicated  in  1815  to  the  Duchess  d'Angouleme, 
and  in  1836  re-dedicated  a  la  Liberte.  In  France,  things 
have  to  turn  their  coats  often,  to  suit  the  political  changes 
of  the  times,  and  an  instance  may  be  cited  in  the  stone  pil- 
lars that  serve  as  mile-stones  along  the  road.  Besides  the 
distance  graved  upon  them,  they  usually  bear  the  insignia  of 
royalty — the  fleur-de-lis  ;  this  has  been  erased,  and  re-cut, 

16 


362  POICTIERS. 


so  many  times,  as  to  form  a  hole,  where  the  birds  of  the  air 
may  build  their  nests  ;  at  present  they  bear  the'  fleur-de-lis, 
but  how  long  it  may  flourish  is  yet  to  be  revealed.  Angou- 
leme  furnishes  the  best  paper  in  France  ;  numerous  manu- 
factories are  constantly  in  operation,  and  one  alone  manu- 
factures twenty-four  thousand  pounds  per  day.  They  make 
paper  of  straw,  tt)o,  and  you  may  see  the  bundle  of  straw 
placed  in  at  one  end,  and,  following  it  with  your  eye,  see  it 
pass  through  many  stages  till  it  comes  out  paper,  sufficiently 
fine  to  write  upon.  Much  brandy,  too,  is  manufactured 
here.  Near  the  hotel,  we  saw  the  only  tower  remaining  of 
what  was  formerly  a  castle,  the  birth-place  of  Margaret  of 
'  Valois,  the  residence  and  at  times  the  retreat  of  royalty. 

We  were  at  Poictiers  at  a  very  early  hour  in  the  morn- 
ing, and,  as  our  conducteur  would  only  allow  us  time  for  a 
hurried  breakfast,  we  were  obliged  to  content  ourselves 
with  what  little  we  could  see  of  the  place  in  the  streets 
through  which.the  diligence  passed.  Like  Angouleme,  it  is 
situated  on  a  mound-like  eminence,  with  streets  sweeping 
down  its  steep  slope.  It  had  formerly  ramparts  and  fortifi- 
cations ;  the  rivers  Claire  and  Boirse  forming  a  natural  fosse 
— but  these  have  all  been  swept  away,  and  it  has  become  a 
place  of  minor  importance,  having  neither  commerce  nor 
manufactures.  It  is  fraught,  however,  with  historic  interest, 
and  no  one  ever  thinks  of  Poictiers  without  calling  to  mind 
the  famous  battle  of  Edward  the  Black  Prince,  in  which 
he  was  victorious,  King  John  made  prisoner,  and  so 
many  of  the  chivalry  of  France  laid  low — or,  of  that  as  fa- 
mous one,  long,  long  ago,  between  the  great  Saracen,  Ab- 
dehram.e  and  Charles  Martel ;  or,  as  the  scene  of  the  defeat 
of  Alaric,  king  of  the  Visigoths,  by  Clovis,  still  farther 
agone. 

I  noted  more  peculiarities  in  France  than  I  had  antici- 
pated ;  such  as  I  imagine  they  will  long  retain,  as  tiiey  are 


FRENCH  CHATEAUX. 


of  a  nature  to  please  all,  rather  than  offend  the  tastes  of  any. 
We  had  exchanged  our  fourteen  mules,  two  abreast,  for  six 
strong,  heavy-built  horses,  placed  three  abreast ;  and,  free 
from  the  hullabaloos  of  the  Spanish  propellers,  the  coach- 
man, mayoral,  postillion,  etc.,  we  now  jogged  pleasantly  and 
comfortably,  as  well  as  noiselessly  on.  We  had  passed  out 
of  the  country  of  steeple-crowned  hats,  into  that  of  steeple- 
crowned  houses,  for  I  fancy  a  French  chateau  would  be  in 
no  wise  complete  or  in  character,  with  less  than  two,  or 
more  than  six  steeple-crowned  towers,  rising  from  every 
angle  of  the  building,  like  so  many  pepper-boxes,  or  extin- 
guishers. No  tree  is  suffered  to  grow  naturally,  and  by  an 
American  eye  can  scarce  be  recognized  as  such  ;  indeed,  it 
would  not  be  atallinconsistent,nor  be  considered  in  any  way 
a  libel,  to  label  them  with  "  this  is  a  tree."  Our  compag- 
nons  du  voyage  were  very  chatty  and  sociable  ;  we  shared  our 
stores  and  stories  with  each  other ;  and,  with  fine  weather,  the 
time  passed  rapidly  and  delightfully.  The  road  was  smooth 
as  a  garden  walk,  and  through  a  country  beautifully  wooded 
and  picturesque — first  along  the  valley  of  the  Claire,  then 
that  of  the  Vienne  ;  passing  by  scenes  with  which  tale  and 
story  have  made  us  familiar.  First  was  Chatelherault,  be- 
stowed by  Henry  II.  upon  Hamilton,  to  bribe  from  him  his 
young  ward,  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  for  the  Dauphin,  Fran- 
cis ;  then  the  chateau  de  Guerche,  built  by  Charles  VII.  for 
Agnes  Sorel  ;,  after,  we  pass  Sovigny,  where  is  the  chapel 
whither  Joan  of  Arc  sent  to  procure  the  sacred  sword,  which 
she  bore  ever  after  in  her  battles;  with  many  others,  not 
nameless,  though  to  us  unknown. 


364  BANKS    OF    THE    LOIRE. 


LETTER  XLIII. 

TOURS THE    LOIRE MASSACRE    OF    HUGUENOTS ORLEANS 

^JOAN    d'aRC PARIS SUNDAY WALKS    AND    GARDENS 

THEATRES. 

Monday. 

We  dined  to-day  at  Tours,  which  is  really  a  gay,  lively 
city,  with  fine  streets,  lined  w^ith  finer  shops  ;  and  is  a  great 
resort  of  the  English,  many  of  whom  are  residents  of  the 
town  and  its  vicinity.  The  main  street,  filled  with  gayly 
dressed  ladies,  officers  in  splendid  uniforms,  and  fine  equi- 
pages rolling  along,  reminded  me  of  the  corso  at  Rome. 
We  had  time  for  a  little  turn,  and  accompanied  by  a  French 
officer,  one  of  our  companions  of  the  diligence,  we  visited 
the  cathedral,  a  fine  old  Romanesque  edifice,  with  rich  has 
reliefs  without  and  richly  stained  glass  windows  within.  At 
Tours  resided  Tristam  L'Hermite,  the  executioner  to  Louis 
XIL,  and  his  house  is  still  to  be  seen,  ornamented  with  knots 
carved  in  form  of  a  noose.  Returning,  we  passed  along  the 
river  side,  through  a  pretty  public  walk,  and  reached  the  ho- 
tel  just  as  the  diligence  w^as  in  readiness  to  depart. 

Leaving  Tours,  our  road  lay  along  the  lefl  bank  of  the 
Loire,  and  I  was  much  interested  with  the  curious  appear- 
ance of  the  houses  along  the  banks  of  the  river.  These  are 
dug  or  cut  out  of  the  limestone  or  tufa  rock  that  borders  the 
river,  sometimes  on  one  side,  then  on  the  other  ;  they  are  of 
one,  two,  and  even  three  stories,  with  windows,  doors  and 
balconies,  and  prettily  ornamented  couits  in  front ;  and  it  is 
most  unique  to  see  the  chimneys  springing  like  mushrooms 
from  amid  the  grassy  covering  of  the  summit  of  the  ridge. 


PARIS.  365 

An  hour's  ride  brought  us  to  St.  Amboise,  where  is  an  an- 
cient chateau,  now  the  property  of  Louis  Philippe,  once  the 
residence  of  kings,  and  the  scene  of  a  bloody  tragedy — a  se- 
cond St.  Bartholomew,  where  many  hundred  Huguenots  'were 
butchered,  until  the  streets  ran  with  blood,  and  the  wearied 
executioner,  unable  longer  to  wield  his  axe,  was  obliged  to 
resign  his  task  to  others. 

Night  here  drew  her  curtain  over  the  scene  as  well  as  our 
eyes,  and  we  awoke  at  an  early  hour  of  the  morning  in  the 
streets  of  Orleans.  As  soon  as  we  had  breakfasted,  we  took 
a  hurried  walk,  to  see  the  beautiflil  front  of  the  old  cathedral, 
its  two  fine  towers,  and  large  round  window :  then  walked 
round  the  bronze  statue  of  Joan  d'Arc,  modeled  by  the  ta- 
lented daughter  of  Louis  Philippe  ;  admiring  it  as  much  as 
the  time  would  admit.  Then  resuming  our  seats  in  the  dili- 
gence, we  were  conveyed  to  the  railroad  depot,  where,  by 
some  mechanical  process,  we  were  raised  high  in  air,  sepa- 
rated from  the  wheels  that  had  borne  us  so  long  and  faith- 
fully, and  placed  upon  the  railway ;  four  others  were  served 
in  like  manner,  and  then  we  commenced  our  rapid  flight 
through  a  country  like  most  of  those  through  which  railroads 
are  carried ;  not  remarkably  interesting  in  appearance. 
Reaching  the  depot  at  Paris,  we,  in  like  manner,  resimied  our 
former  wheels,  or  others  like  them,  and  were  soon  rolling 
along  in  its  wilderness  of  streets.  And  we  were  really  in 
Paris,  that  ^^ paradise  des  dames^''  as  a  Frenchman  told  me, 
and  I  do  not  know  that  I  should  dispute  it,  were  it  not  that  I 
have  children  and  a  home  in  that  blessed,  happy  country,  in 
which  I  am  grateful  that  I  can  claim  a  birthright.  The  Pa- 
risians flatter  themselves  in  their  belief.  America  is  the 
paradise  of  woman.  In  no  coimtry  is  om-  sex  treated  with 
such  tenderness  and  devotion,  and  at  the  same  time  with  such 
deference  and  respect  as  in  our  own  land.  I  would  not  ex-= 
change  my  paradise  for  any  I  know,  convinced  as  I  am  that 

16* 


S66  .  THE    TUILERIES. 


ours  is  the  true  Eden.  May  we  never  do  aught  to  forfeit  it. 
We  have  not  the  great  wealth  of  many  nations  this  side  the 
Atlantic,  nor  the  grandeur  and  display  which  wealth  affords  ; 
neither  have  we  the  poverty,  misery  and  degradation  that  is 
always  seen  in  such  sad  contrast.  "  Give  me  neither 
poverty  nor  riches,"  is  a  prayer  as  well  suited  to  national 
as  individual  happiness  ;  and  a  competency  is  more  condu- 
cive to  national  as  well  as  individual  enjojTnent  and  health 
than  an  overgro^\Ti  fortune  misapplied,  or  prosperity  not  pro- 
perly appreciated — but  I  have  no  time  here  to  moralize.  I 
hope  you  do  not  expect  a  description  of  Paris  from  me  ;  I  will 
take  it  for  granted  that  you  are  as  weary  as  myself  of  these 
descriptions  ;  I  will  only  say  of  it  that  it  is 

"  a  curious  sight, 
And  very  much  unlike  what  people  write." 

I  will  add  a  few  words  only  of  those  places  here  that  I  af- 
fect most.  It  is  on  Sunday  that  I  am  now  writing  ;  hand  or- 
gans are  playing  in  the  streets — pianos  are  sounding  all 
around  me,  and  the  shops  are  open  as  on  week-day.  We 
have  been  walking  in  the  Tuileries  gardens,  and  how  much 
I  mshed  my  little  ones  were  among  the  multitude  of  children 
playing  there  ;  some  with  hoops,  balls,  and  jumping  ropes; 
and  some  wee,  toddling  things,  dressed  in  velvet,  and  sent 
here  with  their  wooden  shovel,  to  play  in  the  dirt,  making 
dirt-pies  and  building  mud  forts  ;  and  such  sport  as  they  do 
have,  and  such  a  noise  of  happy  voices ;  I  wish  you  could 
hear  them,  but  I  tiust  soon  to  hear  as  happy  ones,  and  those 
that  are  far  dearer. 

The  great  beauty  and  boast  of  Paris  is  its  beautiilil  walks 
and  gardens  ;  and  they  excel  those  of  London  in  that  they 
are  the  daily  resort  of  all  classes,  for 'enjoyment  and  recrea- 
tion; with  seats  provided  for  the  infirm  or  weaiy.  Hyde 
Park  does  admirably  for  those  who  keep  their  cai*riage  ;  but 
as  no  hired  carriage  is  allowed  to  enter,  you  are  obliged  to 


THE    CHAMPS    ELYSEES.  367 

foot  it ;  and  this  from  its  great  extent  is  somewhat  fatiguing 
to  those  not  possessed  of  an  English  constitution.  I  think  we 
could  never  have  visited  Paris  at  a  more  delightful  season,  for 
the  whole  country  about  is  so  beautifully  verdant,  and  the  trees 
are  not  only  in  full  foliage,  but  covered  with  their  spring  blos- 
soms, the  whole  country  seems  in  bloom — and  these  immense 
horse  chestnuts  of  the  Tuileries  look  magnificent,  filled  with 
their  beautiful  clusters  of  white  flowers. 

I  think  no  place  in  the  world  can  exceed  the  Champs 
Elysees.  It  is  in  the  centre  of  what  may  be  called  an  im- 
mense park  ;  large  pillars  of  bronze  gilt  support  lari^e  lamps, 
and  enclose  a  circle,  otherwise  ornamented  with  fine  foun- 
tains, and  beautiful  statues  emblematic  of  the  different  pro- 
vinces. From  this  circle  you  pass  through  the  Tuileries 
gardens  to  that  portion  of  the  palace  forming  the  royjtl  resi- 
dence, and  which  presents  to  you  its  quaint  and  antique 
front.  This  road  continues  a  mile  and  a  half  in  the  opposite 
direction,  and  is  closed  by  one  of  the  most  magnificent 
arches  in  the  world  ;  certainly  the  largest,  and  presenting 
from  its  top  one  of  the  most  lovely  panoramas  in  the  world ; 
the  whole  of  Paris,  and  the  innumerable  villages  which  are 
so  many  beautiful  adjuncts  to  the  whole.  Standing  in  this 
circle,  with  your  back  very  disrespectfully  turned  upon  the 
royal  residence,  you  have  before  you  this  splendid  arch  of 
triumph,  closing  a  long  perspective  ;  on  your  right  a  wide 
and  beautiful  avenue  shows  the  church  of  the  Madeleine, 
and  another  on  your  left  is  closed  by  the  magnificent  cham- 
ber of  deputies.  Then  you  have  the  Seine,  with  its  many 
bridges,  winding  along  at  your  left ;  and  before  and  around 
you  are  pretty  buildings,  ornamenting  this  extensive  park  ; 
theatres,  cafes,  palaces,  and  other  handsome  edifices,  scat- 
tered throughout,  and  forming  a  whole  nowhere  to  be  ex- 
ceeded. 

Paris  abounds   in  theatres  ;  withm  the  city  bounds  there 


368  THE    PALAIS    ROYAL. 

are  twenty-one,  besides  many  small  ones  in  the  compart- 
ments without ;  but  its  churches  in  comparison  are  few. 
The  most  conspicuous  are  the  beautiful  Madeleine,  built  by 
Napoleon,  Notre-Dame,  St.  Sulpice,  St.  Denis,  the  burial- 
place  of  their  kings,  and  the  Pantheon  of  their  great  and 
distinguished  men.  But  one  does  not  need  to  go  lion- 
hunting  here  ;  scarce  a  street  you  pass  along  but  has  been 
the  stage  of  some  tragic  acting,  and  your  notice  is  too  often 
directed  to  spots  which  are  pointed  out  as  the  scene  of  some 
horrid  deed,  where  "  men  got  drunk  with  blood  to  vomit 
crime." 

I  turn  from  these  to  another  of  my  chosen  resorts,  the 
Palais  Royal,  where  is  a  scene  that  seems  ever  changing, 
ever  new,  and  yet  always  the  same  ;  where  one  may  well 
say 

'*  A  rich  confusion  form'd  a  disarray 

In  such  sort,  that  the  eye  along  it  cast 

Could  hardly  carry  anything  away, 

Object  on  object  flashed  so  bright  and  fast  ; 

A  dazzling  mass  of  gems,  and  gold  and  glitter 

Magnificently  mingled  in  a  litter." 

And  now  do  you  know  anything  of  Paris  ?  No,  and  you 
would  not  but  with  the  acquaintanceship  of  years;  and  then, 
only  as  a  great  Babylon,  a  concentrated  world,  an  assem- 
blage of  the  universe,  a  place  where  all  extremes  meet,  a 
bazaar  of  all  things  animate  and  inanimate,  beautiful,  curi- 
ous and  fantastic ;  and  where  one  may  find  all  that  heart  can 
desire,  save  friends  and  home.     And  now  a  last  adieu. 


THE    END. 


CONTENTS 


LETTER  I.  PAGE 

Anglesea — Its  Copper  Works — The  River  Mersey — The  Roadside — 
Eaton  Hall — Chester — Its  Cathedral — Liverpool  Docks — Streets 
— Manchester — York  Cathedral — Inns — Durham — Newcastle. 
upon-Tyne — Cheviot  Hills, 5 

LETTER  IL 

Dryburgh  Abbey — Walter  Scott's  Tomb — Abbotsford — ?rlelrose 
Abbey— Edinburgh— Stirling  Castle — The  Highlands — Loch  Ka- 
trine— Loch  Lomond — Dumbarton,    .         .         .         .         .         .20 

LETTER  III. 

Newcastle-upon-Tyne — English  Inns — Giants' Cause  way — North  of 
Ireland, 31 

LETTER  IV. 

Route — Menai  Bridge — Coal  Mines — Oxford — London — Grand 
Review —  Parks —  Opera —  Tower —  Docks' — Thames  Tunnel — < 
Windsor  Palace — Westminster  Abbey — Madame  Tussaud's  Ex- 
hibition— Foundling  Hospital, 38 

LETTER  V. 

Brussels — Its  Lace,  and  Lace  Manufacture — Singular  Appendage 
to  the  Houses — Its  Use — Harlaem — Visit  to  its  Celebrated  Organ 
— Its  Power,  Performance,  Construction,  Organist,  &c. — Rotter- 
dam—  Amsterdam —  Their  Canals —  Shipping —  Water —  Ham. 
burgh — Altona — Berlin,  its  Gardens — Dresden,  its  Galleries,  &c.    48 

LETTER  VL 

Konigstein  —  Prague  —  Bohemia  —  Smokers  —  Novel  Railroad  — 
Lintz — Ischl — Fete  Day  at  Gmunden — Dress  of  the  Peasantry — 
The  Saltskammergat — Life  at  the  Baths — Maria  Louisa — Prison 
of  Richard  Coeur  de  Lion — Strauss  and  Lanner — Navigation  of 
the  Danube, 62 

LETTER  VII. 
Zurich,  its  Lake — Maximilian's  Towers — Lintz — Jesuits — Salzburg, 
its  Cathedral — Peasantry — Fountains — Capuchins — Martyrs,       .     74 

LETTER  IX. 

Munich — A  City  of  Fresco,  its  Churches — Palaces — Glyptothek 
and  Pinacothek — English  Garden — The  Tyrol,  its  Scenery  and 
Peasantry — Valley  of  the  Inn — The  Houses — Costumes — Pro- 
ducts— Tyrolese  Alps — Inspmck — Hofer — Tyrolese  Patriotism, .     82 


370  CONTENTS. 


*  LETTER  X.  PAGE 

Ascent  of  Mount  Righi — Tell's  Chapel — Lago  Maggiore— Catho- 
lic Funeral — Fruits — The  Pass  of  the  Simplon,  .        .        .95 

LETTER  XL 

Cave  of  Adelsburg — The  River  Poik — Ball-room  under  Ground — 
Proteus  Anguinus — The  Borer, 102 

LETTER  XIL 

Carlo  Borromeo — Duomo  of  Milan — Venice — Ancona — Corfu — 
Ionian  Isles — Patras — Athens, 107 

LETTER  XIIL 

Greek  Costume — Island  of  Scio — Ravages  of  the  Greek  Revolu- 
tion — Smyrna — Caravan  of  Camels — Visit  to  the  Slave  Market — 
The  Golden  Horn — Caiques — Pleasure  Carts,    .         .         .         .117 

LETTER  XIV. 

Fire  Towers — Cemeteries — "  Sweet  Waters  of  Europe" — Royal 
Burial-Place — Curious  Women — Dogs — Dervishes — Sail  up  the 
Bosphorus — Dr.  Wolfe — Visit  to  Ali  Bey — Interior  of  his  Harem 
— Conversation  with  his  Wives, 125 

LETTER  XV. 

Lazaretto  at  Malta — Visit  to  the  Mosque  at  St.  Sophia — The  Slave 
Market — The  Cistern  of  the  Thousand  and  One  Columns — Cut. 
ting  Capers — Seraskier's  Tower — Mosque  of  Bajazet — Pigeons — 
Monuments,  &c., 139 

LETTER  XVI. 

Mahmoud's  Mausoleum — The  Bazaars — Palace  of  the  Sultan — 
Madame  Jussippini— Adieu  to  the  City  of  the  Sultan,         .        .  148 

LETTER  XVII. 

Voyage  to  Malta — Dangers  of  Shipwreck — Smyrna — The  Fig  Sea- 
son — Isle    of    Tenos — Motley   Passengers — Fort    Manoel — St. 

Paul's  Voyage, 156 

LETTER  XVIIL 

Valetta — Churches — Castle — Bells — Sickness  of  the  Archbishop — 
Procession — An  Excursion — Scene  of  St.  Paul's  Shipwreck,       .  168 

LETTER  XIX. 

Syracuse — Temple  of  Minerva — Ear  of  Dionysius — Dead  Monks 
— Tomb  of  Archimedes — Catacombs — Arethusa's  Fountain — 
Messina — First  Sight  of  Vesuvius, 174 

LETTER  XX. 

Drive  of  the  Toledo — King  of  Naples — Antiquities  from  Pompeii — 
Excursion  to  Vesuvius — Its  Ascent — its  Appearance,  &c.,.         .  183 

LETTER  XXI. 
Herculaneum — The  Campo  Santa — A  Burial — The  Grotto  of  Ca- 
pri, &c., 195 


CONTENTS.  371 


LETTER  XXII.  .  PAaE 

Monte  Nuovo— The  Sybil's  Grotto— The  Baths  of  Nero— The  Pis- 
cena — Arco  Felice — Temple  of  Jupiter  Serapis — Soifatara — 
Grotto  del  Cane — Posillippo — Psestum — "  Knocking  off  the 
Churches" — St.  Januarius, 202 

LETTER  XXIII. 

Palace  of  the  King — Capua — Mola  de  Gaeta — Inn  of  Terracina — 
Velletri — Bath  of  Diana — Custom-House — Weather  at  Rome — 
Italian  Skies, 217 

LETTER  XXIV. 
High   Mass — Dress — Ceremonies — St.  Peters — Ascent  to  Dome, 
&c., 225 

LETTER  XXV. 

The  Vatican — Love  Letters — The  Hall  of  Animals — Paintings — 
Piazza  del  Popolo — Minerva  Medica — The  Forum — Triumphal 
Arches,  &c., 233 

LETTER  XXVI. 

Statuary — Exhibition  at  the  Propaganda — The  Quirinal  Palace — 
The  Pantheon — Capital — Tarpeian  Rock — Streets,  their  Singular 
Names — The  Barberini  Palace — Vesper  Service,         .         .         .  241 

LETTER  XXVII. 

The  Opera — Tivoli,  its  Cascades — Presentation  to  the  Pope — His 
Mode  of  Diluting  Wine — Blessing  Horses — Crawford,  the  Sculp- 
tor, Terry  and  Freeman,  &c., 249 

LETTER  XXVIII. 

Journey  from  Rome — The  Lily  of  Italy — The  Bazaar — The  Duo- 
mo — Santa  Croce — Ball  at  the  Borghese  Palace — The  Boboli 
Gardens — Tyrolean  Peasants — Manufactory  of  Pietra  Dura — 
Candlemas — Ball  at  the  Pitti  Palace, 257 

LETTER  XXIX. 

Tuscany — The  Peasantry — Pisa — The  Cathedral — Campo  Santa — 
Leghorn — The  Carnival — Women  Spinning — Carrara,        .         .  268 

LETTER  XXX. 

Maritime  Alps — Cornice,  or  Mountain  Road  of  Nice — Toulon,  its 
Harbor  and  Naval  Depot — Marseilles — Entry  into  Spain,    .         .  277 

LETTER  XXXI. 

Voyage  to  Barcelona — Entrance  to  that  City — Troubles  in  Spain — 
Public  Promenade — The  Queen-Mother — Shops — Departure,     .  289 

LETTER  XXXII. 

The  Port  of  Valencia — The  City — Vehicle  of  the  Country — Con- 
vents— Priests — Troubles  of  Spain — Voyage  to  Malaga — Appear- 
ance of  the  Coast  of  Andalusia — Entrance  to  Malaga,      .         .  298 


372  CONTENTS. 


LETTER  XXXIII.  page 
The  Ghibelfaro — Alameda — Beautiful  Women — Cathedral — Envi- 
rons of  Malaga — Mode  of  Irrigation, 305 

LETTER  XXXIV. 

Royalists  Shot — Spanish  Revenue  Cutters — Service  in  the  Cathedral 
— Departure  from  Malaga — Gibraltar — Soldiers — The  Galleries — 
A  Drive  on  the  Alameda,  . 313 

LETTER  XXXV. 

Cadiz — its  Houses,  Towers,  Balconies,  Walls,  Harbor,  and  Situation 
— The  Cathedral — Extinction  of  Monasteries  and  Convents — 
Murillo  and  his  Paintings — Santa  Maria  and  Sidonia  Medina,     .  320 

LETTER  XXXVI. 

Spanish  Dances — Cathedral  Giralda — Moorish  Palace — The  Lonja 
— Murillo's  Pictures, 326 

LETTER  XXXVII. 

The  Standish  Gallery — A  Blind  Musician — Royal  Tobacco  Manu- 
factory of  Seville — Murillo's  Chef-d'ceuvre  of  La  Caridad — The 
Mountain  Brigands  of  Spain, 331 

LETTER  XXXVIII. 
Seville  to  Val-de-Penas — A  Spanish  Diligencia — Cremona — Cos- 
tume— Shaving  their  Mules — Spanish  Smoking — Method  of  Tra-    * 
veiling — Cordova — its  Ancient  Moorish  Mosque — Leaving  An- 
dalusia— Entering  the  Sierra  Morena, 338 

LETTER  XXXIX. 

Robbers  of  Andujar — Sterility  of  the  Table  Land  of  Spain — Suf- 
ferings of  the  Peasantry — Their  Manner  of  Living — Entry  of  the 
Queen-Mother  into  the  Capital — Preparations  to  receive  her,      .  344 

LETTER  XL. 

Rejoicings  of  Madrid  on  the  Arrival  of  the  Queen-Mother — The 
Palace — Anci(!nt  Armory- — The  Gallery  of  the  Retire — The  Es- 
curial  and  Mausoleum  of  the  Kings  of  Spain,    ....  349 

LETTER  XLI. 

Leaving  Madrid — Appearance  of  the  Country — Burgos — its  Cathe- 
dral— Vittoria — The  Bidassoa — Boundary  between  France  and 
Spain — The  Basques — Bayonne, 354 

LETTER  XLII. 

Ride  from  Bayonne  to  Bordeaux — Bordeaux — A  Beautiful  Seaport 
— Its  Quay — Suspension  Bridge — Head-Dress  of  the  Peasantry — 
Angouleme — Poictiers — its  Historic  Interest — Appearances  of 
Country— Trimming  of  Trees, 359 

LETTER  XLIII. 

Tours — T';:e  Loire — Massacre  of  Huguenots — Orleans — Joan  d'Arc 
— Paris — Sunday — Walks  and  Gardens — Theatres,    .         .         .  364 


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